Fading Façade
by Platonic
Summary: With only two weeks left until summer vacation, Becky just can't wait to get out of school. However a family vacation, a scheme by Dr. Two-Brains, and friends in search of her secret identity just might ruin any hope of relaxation.
1. Monday

Disclaimer: WordGirl is property of Soup 2 Nuts, PBS, and contributions to your PBS station from readers like you. Thank You.

* * *

Darkening every minute, the clouds over the city seemed to be taunting the children, reminding them that there were still two long weeks before the end of the school year. And though there wasn't a relentless rain or wind accompanying those clouds, it still didn't help that the sky was now matching the children's less then cheerful mood.

But for one student in particular, these last two weeks couldn't move fast enough.

To be more accurate, one super hero couldn't wait for these weeks to be over. Wrapping up a long night patrolling the city after the recent break out in the community jail, WordGirl halfheartedly caught the last escapee before setting a flight path for home. Nothing could be better. No word could compare to "bed" at this moment.

Sadly, "bed" wasn't going to be an option for this tuckered hero. In less than an hour, her mother would be knocking on her door and in her motherly voice call,

"Becky! Time to get up!"

Uh . . . What could be worse than a wake-up call?

WordGirl managed to slip back into her bedroom window without detection from neighbors or family members. Bob was still fast asleep in his small bed beside Becky's. He had gotten the night off. WordGirl had never pulled an all-nighter before. Then again, the jail never had such a mass break out before. Come to think of it, all last week odd criminal activity had been going on.

Last Monday two men had tried to rob the jewelers at eleven at night, cutting into Becky's sleep time as she searched for the one man who got away.

Tuesday Chuck had held the corner grocer deli as hostage for cash while the Butcher simultaneously robbed the bank in which both criminals had gotten away-there was no way WordGirl could manage both crimes at once.

Wednesday everything that could go wrong did as Becky had to play hooky so WordGirl could save eighteen people in a construction site accident, which lead to Tobey getting suspicious again as to why Becky couldn't be at school when WordGirl was out thus resulting in him terrorizing the city during school hours on Thursday which sadly left Captain HuggyFace to play "WordGirl" until recess, resulting in a twisted ankle and seventeen damaged buildings and Friday, the narrator took a vacation to host Sixty Minutes and that's when. . . Becky didn't want to rethink about Friday, or Saturday for that matter.

Regardless, crime was on the rise.

Oh well, maybe she could fit in a twenty minute nap in before. . .

"Becky! Time to get up!"

. . . before school.

Becky let out a sigh. Turning her back to her bed, Becky fell backwards and sprawled out. She hadn't even changed out of her "WordGirl" costume yet, but she almost felt like there wouldn't be a point to. She would probably have to stress through this day too. Still, she had to get ready for school and show the world that Becky Botsford was just an average kid who had gotten her eight hours of sleep and was ready to be a good student.

"I hate Mondays."

Downstairs the Botsford family was getting ready for another fine, yet cloudy, day. Breakfast was on the table, the family was seated, book-bags and suitcases were packed, and everyone was ready to go, except Becky.

As little Becky Botsford made her way down the stairs, she was greeted by the warm smile of her father in the kitchen; a smile that didn't last too long.

"Hey Becky," Mr. Botsford's face took on a look of concern. "It looks like the sky isn't the only thing looking gray today. What's the matter honey; didn't get enough sleep?"

"Yeah," With eyes barely open and clothes in disarray, Becky sat down at her usual spot at the table, her younger brother inching away at her arrival.

"Well I bet I have something that will make you feel exceptional again!" Mr. Botsford clapped his hands in excitement. His wife also joined in commenting on her husband's word choice.

"Good word choice dear."

"Thanks, I heard WordGirl use it once and I thought Becky would love to hear it."

T.J.'s attention perked up at the mention of his idol's name.

"Well since we're all here let me share what I have."

Mr. Botsford came around the kitchen counter and joined his family at the table.

"Okay, school lets out in two weeks right?"

T.J. didn't hesitate to answer his father with a loud cheer. He almost knocked the table over with his enthusiasm causing his mother to give him a cross look. Becky on the other hand only nodded slightly, yawning as she held her head up with one hand. She too received a look from her mother for having her elbow on the table, but Becky didn't seem to notice. Mrs. Botsford didn't get an opportunity to scold her daughter however; her husband quickly picked up where he left off.

"Well, I thought, oh and your mother helped to, I thought we all deserved a family vacation"

"Sweet!" T. J. rose out of his seat with excitement, thrusting both hands into the air.

"I'm happy to see you like the idea." Mrs. Botsford smiled and then pointed for T.J. to sit again.

"So how does that sound Becky?" Mr. Botsford turned his attention to his daughter awaiting her approval and though Becky did appear to be more awake, she didn't seem to be as happy as he would have hoped.

"Okay I guess." Becky straightened up. She knew she needed to try and eat something, after not sleeping all night she would have to draw her energy from something else.

Mr. Botsford frowned.

"Aren't you curious to know where we're going?"

It was the same place every year. Every summer the family would plan a trip to the country and enjoy some time in the woods camping and swimming and hunkering down in a little cabin when it rained. It was nice, but "WordGirl" never really enjoyed having to flying back and forth from the country to the city. Just when the family would decided to do a family fun activity like swimming, she'd have to fake an ailment to go stop a robbery in town, and with crime being as it has been, Becky had a feeling it would be even worse this summer.

But for dad's sake, she decided to humor him.

"Where are we going?" Becky lifted her fork to begin her breakfast.

"Oh," his eagerness had to be admired. Mr. Botsford was basically about to explode in excitement. "I have booked us a month stay at the Tarries Hotel in Florida!"

Becky found herself almost chocking on her breakfast.

"We can visit the beach,"

T.J. once more jumped from his chair.

"Go to theme parks,"

T.J. then started a dance.

"And enjoy tropical . . .um, what's that word again?"

"Paradise, dear." Mrs. Botsford helped her husband, and again addressing T.J. to sit down.

Becky coughed. Did her father just say, Florida? Like, two thousand miles away Florida? NO!

"What do you mean we're going to Florida?!" Becky's response came as a shock to her family. She kind of sounded . . . mad. Not to mention she had risen from her chair and slammed both hands on the table. Not mild mannered child behavior.

But she couldn't just leave the city. She's WordGirl! She couldn't just take a vacation while the city's crime rate increased by the minute.

"I mean we're taking a family vacation to Florida." Mr. Botsford watched as his daughter seemed to be blinking back tears of frustration. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes! I have to be here to save the city. . ." Catching her mistake a little too late, Becky slowly took her seat again and swallowed hard. She really wished Bob could be at the table right now to help her think of a way out of this one.

"Uh, doesn't WordGirl do that?" Mr. Botsford, along with the rest of the family, stared at Becky.

"Yeah, ha ha, I mean. . ." What did she mean? 'I'm a super hero and therefore I cannot go with my family on a vacation to Florida and leave the city unprotected for a month.' Somehow that didn't seem like a legitimate reason for her outburst.

"I. . .that is, Violet. . ."

Was she really going to bring her friend into this? It would make more sense for her to over react if her friend was involved, right? Normally kids wouldn't pass up a trip unless friends were involved.

"Violet and I are planning to work on a project over the summer to try and help . . . save the city, from. . ." Becky looked around the room. There had to be something she could fill into this lie. But alas, nothing. Becky closed her eyes for a moment and tried to think. "From. . . Sleep!"

Blank stares.

Why sleep? Maybe it had to do with sleep being the only thing on her mind. She had to make this work.

"Well, us being on the student council has opened our eyes to, how students . . . waste summer sleeping a lot."

"And," T.J. interjected. Clearly her story was going bust.

"And, we were going to spend this summer, putting together . . . activities at the school to give students something to do this summer instead of just sleeping in."

Becky put on her most convincing smile. There was no way her family was going to fall for that fabricated mess and even if they did, it wouldn't be a good enough reason to cancel the trip.

Becky's mom was the first to speak up.

"Honey that's great that you care so much about your class mates, but I'm sure the school will be able to make do without you, at least for a month."

"No mom," Becky had to stay with this city. There was no way she could afford a month off. "This really means a lot to Violet and me. We have to work together and I must stay."

The two Botsfords exchanged worried glances and then centered their attention back on their daughter. T.J. on the other hand only glared at his sister.

"There is no way I'm missing a trip to Florida just because my stupid sister wants to stay."

"T.J.," Mrs. Botsford looked to her son.

"Mom, don't tell me you're going to cancel the trip just because of her!"

"We're canceling the trip?!" Mr. Botsford rose from the table. His wife placed a hand on his back to calm him.

"Nobody said anything about canceling this trip,"

"Well, is there a way I can stay with Violet while you're on the trip?" Becky clasped her hands in a pleading formation. Her parents didn't seem to like that idea either. But they didn't want to upset Becky either.

There was a long pause.

"If it's that important to you, we'll think about."

Mom's always had a way of indirectly saying "no," but Becky knew better than to press the issue.

"Now, you two head on out to school, your father and I will discuss the trip while you're out Becky."

The two Botsford children gathered their things and headed out the door. As Becky shut the door behind her, she was immediately confronted by her brother.

"I can't believe you," the boy crossed his arm. "We finally get a chance to go some place cool and you have to. . ."

"Oh knock it off, T.J."

"No! What's wrong with you?!"

"Nothing, I just know Some things are more vital than others."

"Whatever." T.J. headed down the driveway. It was days like these that made him wonder what possessed his parents to adopt Becky. Why couldn't his parents adopt someone cool, someone like WordGirl?

T.J. then stopped at the end of the driveway when he noticed Becky wasn't following. Turning back he saw his sister standing close to the door.

"Are you trying to listen in on them?" He called to his sister only to receive a spiteful look from her. T.J. rolled his eyes and left; she could walk to school alone.

Becky returned to listening in on her parents. Having super hearing did have its advantages.

Inside Mr. Botsford could be heard sitting back down with a sigh.

"I want to go to Florida."

"I know dear." Mrs. Botsford sat as well. "I'm sure Becky and Violet will understand that the family needs this vacation. Family time is important. Plus I have to handle that case while I'm there."

"Not to mention I've already bought the plane tickets and booked the hotel."

"I also don't want Mrs. Heaslip to have to watch Becky all summer. They're having a rough time as it is."

There was silence. Mr. Botsford spoke up again, this time he sounded more concerned.

"What if Becky is having one of those attachment issues again?"

Becky was surprised by this comment. Her mother spoke again.

"She might be, but she's been living with us for a while now, I think she feels secure enough by now. . . But then again,"

Mrs. Botsford could be heard standing and moving about the room. The sound of pages turning soon followed.

"The book says," Becky's mother spoke. "Children can suffer from separation anxiety even after being with their adopted families for a while; asking a child to go so far from home maybe breaking their security." The book was closed. "This would be our first trip so far away from home."

"Are we going to cancel?"

"No," There was silence. "I'll call Mrs. Heaslip after work today. If she's okay with Becky staying over for a month so am I. Who knows, it might be helpful for Becky to spend time away from us."

The book could be heard being flipped through again.

"Chapter nine says that spending time apart can help reestablish a child's faith in adoptive parents always returning. The child will also gain a sense of independence being able to act naturally without fear of parental condemnation."

"I guess so," Mr. Botsford was disappointed. "All I wanted was a family vacation. . ."

"It's not your fault dad," Becky whispered to herself before taking to the skies. "Word Up!"

The fly to school was a very reflective one. Becky had no idea her parents thought like that. Why would they think she would suffer from separation anxiety? Did she do something to make them think she was insecure?

There didn't seem to be clear answers to these questions, at least not answers that wouldn't elude a fifth grader's mind. Becky was just a bit disheartened by what her parents said, but the fact still remained, WordGirl must stay in the city. Florida already had ten super heroes anyway; it would be weird for WordGirl to appear there.

There was only one thing that bothered Becky most about her current situation; the lying. This wasn't like the white lies she had become so accustom to telling. This lie was trying to manipulate her parent's decision, not to mention it had brought a friend into the mix.

Somehow she had to make this lie true. When her mom called Violet's, Mrs. Botsford was going to find out that there wasn't school activities planned. Becky would be forced to leave the city for sure then, and she'd spend the whole trip locked in her hotel bedroom as well.

"Maybe if I get to school fast enough I'll have time to talk with the principal and convince her to run a summer program. Then it will be like I was telling the truth the whole time."

Becky did arrive to school early and did get to chat with the principal. Unfortunately the answer was "no."

"We don't have the necessary funding, but that is a very good hearted idea." This was all Becky was rewarded with, the principal's usual excuse.

Leaving the office, head lowered and spirit crushed, Becky was overwhelmed by defeat. Her mother was going to find out the truth and if she didn't think Becky was insecure before, she defiantly would then. The city was doomed.

Becky was so deep in thought that she didn't even notice her friend Scoops waving from across the hall.

"Becky!"

His voice caught her attention. Becky looked up to see Scoops come up beside her as she walked towards class. He seemed excited about something, but he quickly changed his attitude when he noticed Becky's saddened disposition. He also noted that her hair was a mess and it appeared she hadn't slept right for days, which actually was the truth.

"Hey what's wrong?"

Becky sighed.

"I was hoping to encourage the school to host a summer program, but apparently the school lacks the subsidy to do so." The girl lowered her head again.

"That sounds like it could make a pretty good story," Scoops reached for the pad and pen he kept handy in his pocket. He was never one to miss a good story, plus, by listening, he would be helping out a friend. "So the school refuses to host summer actives because they are, missing something. Subsidy was it?"

"Yeah, 'subsidy' the financial support or money needed to do something. Like the school can't hold a summer program because they don't have enough money from the state to do so. Subsidy."

Scoops laughed at Becky's definition as he took quick notes.

"You sound just like WordGirl sometimes."

Becky froze for a moment causing Scoops to stop as well. She never liked it when people made reference to her being like her alter-ego, especially people who had come close to figuring out her secret before. Scoops was one of those people Becky knew she had to be extra careful around. He was a close enough friend to know when she was acting strange, like when she needed to leave to fight crime, but a distant enough person to turn her in for a good story.

"No, I'm not like WordGirl."

"So you're saying that the government is refusing to supply schools with adequate funding, correct?" Scoops pointed his pen in Becky's face waiting for a response.

"I didn't say that."

"Well, not directly you didn't, but a good reporter knows how to read between the lines and investigate the clues. The real problem our school is facing is not a lack of summer activities, but a budget cut."

Becky thought for a moment, and then agreed with a nod. Scoops would know more about that kind of stuff than she; he seemed to make a living out of understanding people and news. Maybe she should employ him to investigate her parents' discussion this morning. Oh well, maybe later.

Becky watched as Scoops vigorously jotted down notes from their rather short discussion.

"Why are you so interested about this, I mean, this story doesn't seem so attractive to me."

"Well," Scoops closed the notebook and placed it back in his pocket. "The Daily Rag hasn't been printed for this week yet; we still need one more story before we can send it to the press. So I thought I could fill it with this."

Idea!

Becky wasn't certain where the idea had come from, but at this desperate point in time she didn't care.

"Scoops, parents read the Daily Rag too, don't they?"

"Yeah I guess."

All glum left Becky. If she could get the paper to print that the summer activities were going to happen, she may be able to fool Violet's mom into letting her stay for the summer. Becky could work out the details later.

"May I help you put together this last story?"

"Well . . ."

"Please, Scoops." Puppy eyes.

"I like ya, kid! Sure, why not."

Becky jumped in triumph.

Scoops smiled. It was good to see a friend so pleased, especially one that looked like she had been hit by a train last night.

"You know Becky, if you like reporting that much we always have an opening for someone as good with words as you are."

Becky's victory celebration quickly sobered at this remark. Though she had always wanted to join the school paper, mostly due to her crush on a certain someone, her duties as WordGirl took precedence over after school activities, but now that she was considering using the paper to help validate a lie, Becky didn't feel so worthy of that compliment. 'WordGirl' was about to use one of 'Becky's' dearest friends to lie to her parents and her best friend's mom.

But she was trying to do the right thing. WordGirl had to be there for the city, right?

The school bell rang and students started moving about the halls for their classes.

"Hey, I'll meet you during recess in the media center." With that, Scoops tipped his hat to a jaunty angle and went his own way.

Becky stood still in the hall for a moment as a sea of children walked past. Everyone seemed in such a hurry.

What if an alarm bell was to go off right now somewhere downtown? What if the whole city were about to face unprecedented peril? Who would care?

No other child in the school would even know. They could go to school, or on family trips, and never have to worry about the city being there the next day. But WordGirl did and that meant Becky did. No one had to deal with the pressures she had to deal with daily.

The hall thinned out a bit as only the stragglers remained.

If WordGirl didn't do what she did, many people could be hurt. The city needed WordGirl, so why did Becky feel so guilty about what she was planning to do? She was going to have a paper printed specially for her parents and Violet's just to fool them into letting her stay. Then she would end up telling another lie to keep Violet's mom from investigating the school's planned events. Lies, all lies.

So why was Becky willing to tell this big of a lie? Because she felt guilty. If WordGirl left this city, Becky would feel guilty. It was a lose-lose situation no matter what. So was she doing the right thing?

Sigh.

"What's another word for 'guilt.'" Becky didn't say this to anyone in particular, for she knew the answer, but a response came nonetheless.

"Shame."

That contrived accent and know-it-all tone could only belong to one person; Tobey.

"No, I was thinking more along the lines of 'responsibility.'" Becky didn't face him, but she did fight back the urge to yell at him for getting Huggy hurt. He was beginning to be a bother. Tobey was another one of those persons Becky had learned to be really careful around and for more reasons than Scoops.

For the last couple of weeks Tobey had become oddly suspicious of Becky being WordGirl. And though time and time again she would disprove his theory by having Becky and WordGirl appear in the same place, with the help of her side kick, Tobey would return to his original idea that Becky was WordGirl.

"How about the word 'remorse' or 'liability?"

"How about 'I'm not in the mood to play word games right now so leave me alone.'" Becky started walking and to her dismay, Tobey followed. They did share the same class, so it wasn't much of a surprise when he did.

"You seem tense."

"Yeah." Becky's annoyance was very present in her voice.

Tobey came along side her and matched her quickening pace.

"You know," He started staring at her intently. "The most convincing evidence against you is your word choices."

Becky rolled her eyes.

"Subsidy? Who uses the word subsidy?"

"You obviously, and I hope you're not saying you're WordGirl."

Tobey narrowed his eyes.

"You're not funny."

"And neither is this conversation, so can we stop having it now?"

The two had reached the door to their class. Becky reached for the handle when Tobey slapped his hand against the door to hold it shut. And though Becky knew it would be really easy to force that door open, she decided against it. Might as well let him get his last word instead of flinging that weak frame from the wall, oh and the door too.

"Well there is always one way to settle this little dispute." Tobey smiled. "I could always go consult WordGirl . . ."

Becky would actually like him to harass her alter-ego, at least then she could fight back without suspicion. But Becky would soon regret that mental wish upon Tobey's next words.

". . . During recess today."

Becky had to take a deep breath at this; keep that negative energy at bay.

"Were you eavesdropping on Scoops and me?" That was just creepy; creepy and weird; though it did seem appropriate that someone would eavesdrop on her right after she had listened in on her parents.

"Eavesdropping, that's another WordGirl word."

He was trying to make her angry, wasn't he? Well he had no idea what he was messing with. She was too tired, too upset, and had way more important things to deal with than his cry for attention right now.

"Tobey," Becky clenched her fists and then released them, all the while trying to keep from yelling. "If you so much as tip over a garbage can today, I will personally seek you out and. . ."

At that moment, the late bell rang, which was good to some extent. What kind of threat could 'normal' Becky Botsford pose to someone with an army of robots? On the other hand, there was now the embarrassing moment of walking into to class late with Tobey. Could today get any worse?

* * *

(**A/N**) Yay, my first WordGirl story . . . first story in like three years actually. So you know, I wrote this story based on season one. I hadn't seen the last two episodes of season one until the fifth chapter, and I hadn't read the summaries of season two until about chapter seven. Sorry if some of the info in this story is off because of that. Please feel free to R&R. I like constructive criticism; just no flames. Thanks.


	2. Dreams Drop

Disclaimer: I do not own this show or its characters. I write as a fan. Enjoy.

* * *

The sky was black.

On the streets there wasn't a sign of life anywhere. Lights glowed faintly from the street lamps only providing enough light to see one's next step.

The vacated buildings seemed to moan in their loneliness as a single shooting star fell from the heavens.

WordGirl stood in the middle of the empty road gazing straight ahead. At first nothing. Then she could see only the shadowy outline of something out in front of her. Something lifeless. Something dead. She couldn't identify it.

She wanted to fly to it, but she was grounded. So she walked. And walked and walked. The object did not become any clearer.

Voices.

From the abandoned roof tops came the cries of the city. They rose to such volumes that it hurt to try and make sense of them. But one voice did resonate louder than others.

"Where's Becky!"

The object came into focus. That heap of lifelessness was . . .

o

"Miss. Botsford!"

Becky shot up. She had fallen asleep in class. Gazing around, she felt light headed and disoriented. Her eye sight was still bleary, but she could make out the figure of her teacher, standing rather disappointingly over her desk.

"Perhaps we should have a talk before recess." The teacher moved away from Becky's desk to resume the lesson, the other students snickering at Becky's scolding.

Today was not shaping up to be that great. Now not only did she have to worry about Tobey trying to destroy the city, but she was going to have to listen to a frivolous lecture about "respect" all within a thirty minute time span. A time in which she needed to be in the media center.

The rest of the morning Becky spent trying to keep her eyes open. Her lack of sleep was really beginning to catch up with her and the teacher just seemed to ramble on and on and on and on and on . . .

Becky couldn't afford another mistake. If she acted up again the teacher may hold her back from recess altogether. She had to meet with Scoops; the city's livelihood depended on it. So, to prevent sleep from over taking her again, Becky would go over her plan for the Daily Rag in her head.

All she needed was the school paper to say there were summer activities and Violet's mother would be sure to let Becky stay; it would also provide proof for Becky's parents that there was a good reason to leave their daughter behind for a month.

Of course, Becky couldn't let a lie like that be printed in the paper, so she would have Scoops write the story as a pitch for a summer program that the school couldn't afford, then all Becky would have to do is print two papers that didn't include the paragraphs about the school not being able to run the activities mentioned in the paragraph above. Sounded good, but what about Violet's mom. She would want to send the girls to the events.

Becky couldn't ask Violet to lie through the summer. Violet wouldn't lie to her mom, not to mention she would want to know why Becky was lying in the first place.

The student in front of Becky suddenly turned around. He was passing a stack of papers to her.

"Take one and pass it on," he wheezed placing the papers on her desk. The student then began to cough into the hand he used to pass the papers to Becky.

"Excuse me," he sniffed, "The weather's got me feeling sick." He turned back to the front.

Becky cringed at the sight of the paper. She doubted his excuse for contaminating the worksheets, but Becky did send a glance over to the classroom window.

It had gotten darker outside. Maybe, if she were lucky, it would rain and she wouldn't have to worry about Tobey unleashing his robots on the city.

Becky shook a sheet from the middle of the stack before passing it back. Turning back around she caught a glimpse of Violet who was seated up front. Violet must have been watching Becky, waiting for her to look her way, for when she did Violet started mouthing words to her.

Though Becky loved to read, lip-reading was a language Becky never mastered. Despite Violet's determination, all she received was a blank stare from her friend.

Becky just smiled back and returned her attention to the front of the class not wanting to draw the teacher's attention to herself. Whatever it was, she could talk to Violet about it later.

Now-what was it she was thinking about-oh yes the Daily Rag. All she needed was two papers and . . .

The class suddenly rose to their feet and began moving around. Students were pulling their desks together and filling out the worksheets.

Becky mentally kicked herself for not paying attention.

"Hey Becky," Violet quickly appeared next to her best friend. "Can I interview you?"

. . . What?

"Why?"

Violet laughed softly as she pulled a chair up to Becky's desk.

"You're my best friend so I thought I'd interview you, silly."

"Oh. . ."

Now seemed like a good time to actually look at the paper she had been handed. Becky read over the paper; yet another time when super powers were useful.

The handout read:

"Interview another student in the class. They can be a friend or another student you have always wanted to get to know. This will help get you ready for your project. Ask them questions about:

Their Family-

Friends-

Favorite foods-

Favorite memory-"

The list went on to include many interview questions. But what Becky was most concerned about was the word "project."

"What project?"

"Huh?" Violet had gotten her pencil and paper ready and must have asked her first question for she looked posed to write whatever came out of Becky's mouth.

"This handout is talking about a project we'll be doing. Why?"

"Weren't you listening, we're going to make a book about us and our families. I'm really excited."

Becky just sighed as Violet continued.

"I'm going to interview my Grandfather about our family this Thursday when he comes over to help us pack."

Pack?

"Pack? Are you leaving this summer?" Becky must have sounded distressed.

"Yes," Violet tiled her head in confusion as her friend placed her head on her desk. "My mother says that someone wants her to paint a mural inside the Luva Museum in Lakeville. Mom says it's a job she can't refuse but it will take several days to complete, so I'm going with her."

Becky didn't move. Violet frowned. She didn't know exactly what was going on inside her friend's mind, but it couldn't be good. It was troubling to see a friend look as Becky did. She looked tired and angry. For the few years that they had known each other, Violet had come to know Becky was never one to share her feelings.

This always bothered Violet. She had always shared her thoughts and feelings with Becky, but whenever it seemed her friend was having a tough time she would never talk about it. Violet was never mad at Becky for this, but she wished her friend would trust her more and talk about things.

"What's wrong Becky?"

The word "everything" came out muffled. Becky wanted to scream, throw a fit, or at least rip up this homework assignment that was going to cause unwanted stress for the next two weeks.

Becky took a deep breath and tried to gain composure. She sat up slowly and faced her friend.

There was no point in getting mad at the situation. It wasn't like Violet's mom had purposely planned a trip to intervene with WordGirl saving the city. But now what?

"I'm fine Violet, what's your first question?"

Mrs. Botsford was going to call and find out there were no summer activities and Becky was going to get caught in her lie.

"We'll start off easy. Who's in your family?"

"My mom and dad, my brother TJ and Bob."

Becky would be punished for the remainder of the Botsford Family's stay in the city, and then she would be forced to leave.

"What's your favorite thing to do?"

"Read."

The city would be thrown into pandemonium. Crime would be uncontrollable by the time she got back. The city would wonder what happened to WordGirl and they would want to know why she didn't help people. Her reputation would be ruined.

"Where were you born?"

"Lexicon."

Her family might even . . . Wait! What did she just say!?

Violet stared for a moment. What did her friend just say?

"Is that the city west of ours?" Violet asked.

Becky could feel her face become hot. Why did she say that?

"No, no, I meant to say, here." Becky tried to laugh off her discomfort, but Violet seemed to only become more concerned. "I was born here. Born and raised here, right here."

"Oh," was all Violet could say. After a moment Violet spoke again. "I was born here too."

"Really?" Becky smiled, trying to sound as interested as possible. Taking her paper and a pencil Becky began to take notes on her friend, thankful the Lexicon comment had faded from memory.

"Mom always told me I was born right as dawn broke. The sun had barely risen over the tops of the distant trees when I began my first day on the Earth. She says that God placed a miracle in her arms when I was handed to her."

"Wow, that was really sweet."

"I know. My mom is so good with words; I think I might ask her to help me with my project." Violet beamed.

At that moment the recess bell rang. Students returned their chairs to their respectable places as instructed by the teacher before heading out the door. Most of the children went to the library or art room fearing it might rain, but a few brave souls headed out the school doors to the empty playground that awaited them.

Violet rose.

"Do you want me to wait for you?"

"No."

"Are you sure?" Violet really wanted to help Becky. Something was wrong.

"Yeah, I'm going to meet Scoops after this, but I would love to walk home together after school today."

Violet smiled with the hope of talking things out with Becky later; Becky smiled knowing she could ask about the project then.

Becky lingered in her seat. She was going to wait for her hopefully short lecture. Becky waved goodbye to Violet as she left and then got comfortable.

The teacher gradually came over to where Becky was sitting. Each step seemed to go in slow motion. Could this teacher walk any slower? It felt like miles of room was now separating the two instead of just ten small steps.

"Miss. Botsford,"

It was strange being called by her last name.

"You are normally such a good student, what's wrong today?"

"I guess I'm just tired."

The teacher continued to ramble on about stuff. Becky would nod every so often or respond with a "yes."

It was kind of a funny situation though. Here "WordGirl," defender of the city was being reprimanded for being tired after a whole night of crime fighting. Becky couldn't help but wonder what her life would be like if people did know her secret. Certainly her teachers wouldn't hold her after class or give her time-consuming projects on the last two weeks of school.

Finally the lecture was over, and with twenty minutes left of recess. Ample time, not that it mattered. With Violet leaving for the summer there was no hope for Becky. Maybe if she still made the papers, she could make it appear that Mrs. Heaslip just couldn't keep her, then she could at least dodge punishment for lying about the summer activities. This wouldn't fix the problem of WordGirl leaving though.

Oh well, she would just have to think of something else.

Becky turned to the window before leaving the class and saw several small drops of water hit the glass. It was starting to rain.

Becky made her way to the door with a smile. There wasn't going to be any robot attack today; a pleasant reward considering the circumstances.

An unpleasant surprise awaited her in the hall, however, as Tobey was leaning against the wall outside of the classroom. At first Becky anticipated some kind of "WordGirl" related harassment, but then she noticed he wasn't really paying attention to her, or anything for that matter. He was just staring.

Odd.

It probably would have made more sense for her to just walk away and leave him there, but that didn't seem right considering he might still be planning something.

"You okay?" Becky positioned herself in front of her foe. If she made good eye contact it would be easier for her to tell if he were lying.

He just blinked a few times before acknowledging her.

"What?" Tobey sounded angry as he straightened up. It took another moment before her words finally made sense in his head. "Why do you even care?"

Before class she hates you, after class she's concerned; must be a girl thing.

"I was just asking."

"Well maybe you should mind your own business."

"Oh, that's funny coming from you considering you were eavesdropping on me earlier."

Tobey continued his intent glare for a moment longer before rolling eyes.

"I don't have time for this."

Finally something they both agreed on.

With nothing left to say, Tobey turned to enter the class as Becky made her way down the hall. That was, awkward. Once safely around the corner, Becky decided to make a dash for the media center to save what little time she had left.

Unfortunately Becky's hast ran her into an adult who had been walking in the hall.

"Ouch!" The man yelped as he was almost knocked over by her. "Watch where you're going you little urchin."

The man straightened his coat before continuing down the hall.

"Funny," Becky thought. "I've never seen him here before." He must have been a visiting parent or new teacher. Sure was rude. But now wasn't the time to ponder that; off to the media center . . . wait.

Becky knelt down and picked up a folder that the man must have dropped. She stood quickly to try and get the man's attention, but he was already gone. He must have been in a hurry. She could drop the folder off in the library; there was a 'lost and found' there and it was connected to the computer lab.

Scoops had already started the article by the time Becky arrived after dropping off the folder. He had the layout of the paper up on the computer screen and he was filling in the headline; Financial Crises Ruins Summer Fun.

Becky frowned at the article. She really wanted it to look like an ad for the summer events. If Scoops wrote the article it would only talk about the school's financial problems.

Scoops was so busy reviewing his notes from earlier, he had not noticed Becky's presence yet.

"Hey there." Becky pulled a chair away from one of the other computer station and sat beside her friend.

"Great you're here, let's start."

Scoops held his notes open for the two of them.

"I was thinking we should defiantly point out how the school can't afford half of the after school activities that it use to. I remember my dad saying their use to be six or seven more classes he could take as a kid here."

"I was actually thinking, about. . ."

Becky stopped herself to think. Nothing else was working out, why did she need to do this?

She wanted the paper to prove to her parents that there really were school activities during the summer, but what was the point if Violet's mom wasn't going to let her stay. Whether Becky got away with lying or not there was no way she could prevent the family vacation.

"Why don't we write out a promo for the summer events?" She said this a little harshly.

Scoops raised an eye brow.

"You know, make it sound cool so people would want to attend and then let them know that due to. . ." Becky was cut off.

"Due to a lack of 'subsidy' the school is unable to host such events." Scoops winked at the use of the word 'subsidy.' He was proud he could still remember. "I like it and since you're the one who came up with it, you should write it."

"Me?!" Becky never considered herself creative and if this didn't incorporate some imagination, Becky didn't know what did.

"Yeah, why not? Besides I need to get started on this Two-Brains story."

"What did you just say?"

"I need to get to work on this Dr. Two-Brains story. I've been putting it off since all I have left to do is upload the pictures on the computer."

Rising from the computer chair, Scoops stood by the door where posted was a bulletin board with several top story pictures pined to it. Scoops pulled one of the images off the board and brought it to Becky.

"See this," He held up what looked like an empty patty-wagon. "Two-Brains escaped Saturday about two hours after WordGirl caught him. Luckily I was there to snap a quick picture and interview witnesses of his escape."

"How did he get out?! He was handcuffed and unconscious."

"Well I don't know about all that, but you're just going to have to read my report to find out what happened." Scoops made his way to the computers' scanners.

Becky turned to face the task at hand; she'd worry about Two-Brains later . . . or would she. If he didn't come out of hiding before school let out she might not get the opportunity to catch him again. Why couldn't he just stay locked up? Just for a month, that's all she wanted.

Becky looked at the cursor blinking on screen. There was a whole column of blank space just waiting for what she would write.

Here goes . . .

"Come experience an engaging occasion amid a collective assemblage of acquaintances at the school's annual Summer Activities Event."

That didn't sound right. Maybe,

"Spend this summer here at school. . ."

She could already tell that was awful; no child would come to that.

"You need to be here. . . Summer only comes once a year . . . Want to do something fun and educational. . ?"

That didn't sound so bad.

"Want to do something fun and educational? Why not spend a summer hanging with friends and trying new activities here on campus. Games, food, prizes and more could await any student who wishes to take part in the events."

This was actually sounding pretty good.

Once Becky had set up the story for the event, she needed to print two copies and then she could finish the story with the part about the school not being able to host such festivities. Perfect.

Becky glanced over at Scoops. He seemed rather engrossed in his picture placement; he would never notice her printing.

Click.

The printer on the far side of the room hummed to life. Becky flinched a bit at the sound, but Scoops never looked away from his monitor.

That was easy.

Becky finished the article just in time for the bell.

"Well, I'm done." Becky rose from her chair.

"Great, I'll put your section with the rest of the paper. It will be handed out in the lunch room after school so defiantly pick one up, okay?"

"Okay." Becky nonchalantly walked around the room, passed by the printer and was out of the media center. Finally, something had gone right today. Becky made a stop at her locker to place the fraudulent papers in before heading to class._

* * *

_

(A/N) If you enjoyed feel free to review, if not, still review.


	3. Worry

Disclaimer: Not to I can credit of fanciful characters be given, but unto creators of such adventures can praise fall. In other words, I didn't make WordGirl & co. I merely write about them. Though I claim Jennifer.

* * *

"Do you ever wonder about your kids?"

Mrs. Botsford had finally made it to her lunch break. She had retreated to the City Hall lounge where she had made for herself a microwavable meal.

She, and the entire office, had been working on a case that involved three cities in three different states, note why she needed to head to Florida.

It had been the most stressful time she could remember as every state fought over the evidence and what not, but regardless this was Sally Botsford's first major case. Usually she was only asked to handle matters involving the rather large city she lived in, which was great as she enjoyed being home with her family every night, but this case required her to travel and, being she never wanted to leave her family behind, she had tried to turn this trip into a vacation.

"What parent doesn't worry about their kids?" Mrs. Jennifer Cotton was one of the staff at city hall who had conveniently taken her brake with Sally. She and Sally had gotten to know one another pretty well over the past four months due to the case and while Sally wouldn't consider the very talkative Jennifer to be a close friend, she did feel safe enough to confide in her.

"Well this morning my daughter seemed to be upset about leaving the city this summer."

"So," Jennifer joined Sally at the table, scooting her chair closer.

Luckily, the lounge was empty so the two women could talk freely.

"I'm worried that Becky might not want to go with us to Florida."

"Of course she might not and that's okay."

Sally gave her friend her full attention.

"Sometimes there are things kids don't want to do, it won't hurt her if you force her to take a little trip. If anything she'll end up enjoying it more than anyone else in your family." Jennifer got comfortable in her chair and placed her purse on the table. She then reached into the bag and pulled out her make-up. Sally watched as the woman applied several new layers of powder.

"If you really want my opinion, which I'm sure you do, take that girl with you and don't compromise a thing with her."

"I'm not so sure," Sally hadn't touched her lunch. "At first that's what I thought, but Becky really looked upset when we told her about the trip. She even made up some story about the school wanting her to stay over the summer."

"Isn't your daughter in the fifth grade?"

"Yes."

"That was a pathetic lie. She'll be in middle school next year, why would she think the school would ask its alumni to return over the summer. I mean really, lie about a sleep over or something."

"I really think Becky's afraid to leave the city."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Becky's adopted and sometimes I wonder if she is sub-conscientiously frightened to leave home because. . ."

Sally was cut off as her co-worker loudly interjected.

"Becky could be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder!"

"What?"

"Due to being abandoned by her real parents, Becky cannot stand the thought of leaving the only place where she may be able to reunite with her lost relatives." Jennifer rose from her chair breathing heavy. "I've seen this on a television special."

"I'm sure Becky doesn't. . ."

Jennifer dramatically clung to the table bringing her face within inches of Sally's. She had so forcibly smacked the table with the compact in her hand that powder fluffed into the air around their faces.

"If you make her leave, she will forever hate you." Jennifer whispered. "She will always resent the day you took her away; blaming you for lowering her chance of returning home!" The powder seemed to highlight Jennifer's seriousness.

"Will you calm down?"

Jennifer slowly straightened up, but the crazed look in her eye did not vanish.

"You think I'm making this stuff up, but Becky might be thinking that any day now her real family is going to show up and if she leaves. . ."

"Knock it off!" Sally had heard enough. "You're making it sound like my daughter is some kind of alien getting beamed home. We're her 'real' family now and she loves us."

The two women stared at each other for a moment; Jennifer then collected her purse.

"I'm sorry, Sally. I must have gotten carried away." With that she powered her nose, again, and left with a smile. Sally just shook her head, not certain what to make of that conversation or the powder that now clung to her collar.

As the door swung from Jennifer's departure, Ms. Claire MacCallister entered.

"Tell me you're not taking her advice." Claire didn't look at Sally but passed by her to the counter space behind her. It was obvious she didn't hear the conversation, but was speculating on Jennifer's reputation of craziness.

Sally sighed.

"I don't know,"

What if Jennifer was right? It wasn't like Becky to lie about things. The school would have sent a newsletter home if such events existed. But every kid did lie every now and again, that was normal, but Becky was usually an honest child, the only reason she would lie is if there was something seriously wrong. And why tell such a dozy when the family was planning to go on vacation. Something just wasn't adding up.

Sally spun in her chair to face her co-worker. She wanted another opinion on the matter, and who better to ask right?

"Do you ever worry that your son might be suffering from, post-trauma or something?"

Claire paused for a moment before facing Sally.

" . . . What?"

Suddenly Sally wished she would have rephrased that questioned.

"Well, what I mean to say is, do you ever wonder if your kid might misbehave due to something that happened in their past?"

Claire stared condemningly.

"Were you two talking about my son?"

Somehow that question sounded more like a threat than an inquisitive statement.

"No, we were talking about my daughter, Becky."

The last thing Sally would want is for someone to think she was talking about their kid, especially if their kid had somewhat destructive tendencies.

"Then you should say what you mean." Claire returned to her food preparation.

Not that Sally was frightened by her co-worker, but it was clear to her why this woman worked in law; no one was going to cross her. It was now best to just continue the conversation in hopes of blotting out that social blunder.

"Well, my daughter lied to me this morning about the school hosting summer activities. She's hoping I won't make her go to Florida if she can stay with a friend and help out at school. She's never really lied to me before and I'm worried that she might have a fear of leaving home."

Claire continued working without commenting, so Sally continued.

"She's adopted and I think she believes her 'real' parents are still in the city. I'm scared that if I make her go she will hate me for it. What do you think?"

Claire's meal was done. She joined Sally at the table.

"She's probably afraid."

Sally sighed again.

"I think either way Becky would be fine." Claire started eating; between bites she would throw out more ideas to the deliberating Sally. "If she goes she might throw a fit, but she'll get over it by the end of the trip, but you could let her have her way and stay it won't kill her either way."

"You're probably right." Sally smiled and finally reached for her fork. "Becky'll be fine. I'll call Mrs. Heaslip this afternoon and whatever happens, happens."

"Don't take that attitude."

"What attitude?"

"Sera, sera. Kids will take advantage of that in a heartbeat."

Sally couldn't help but feel a little offended by that statement.

"My daughter wouldn't take advantage of me."

Claire had on an ailing smile.

"No one wants to think their child would take advantage of them, but if Becky's willing to lie…"

"My daughter wouldn't do that."

"She's already manipulated you into considering letting her stay; she's lied to your face and still expects you to do what she wants. She's a kid not a super hero, she's going to make mistakes and do selfish things, believe or not."

For whatever reason, these words did not settle well with Mrs. Botsford; no one had the right to say that about her child. Becky was a good kid. Adopted or not, she loved her family 'The

Botsfords.' If Becky felt scared to leave home then there should be no need for her family to scrutinize her.

"I trust my daughter and I know she trusts us. She's not trying to manipulate us. The reason she lied is because she's frighten, not because she's like . . . really bad."

'Really bad?' The words Sally wanted to use were 'your son.' Sally wasn't certain how much of this little argument surrounded that kid but it was doubtlessly best to end this conversation before it escalated into something both women would regret.

"Well I need to get back to work." Sally took up her untouched lunch and placed it in the mini refrigerator.

Walking down the hall back to her office, Sally wasn't certain what to think. Was Becky a manipulative liar bent on ditching her family or a frightened child clinging to the lost hope of her real family . . . or was it neither. Those descriptions didn't seem to match Becky at all.

_o_

The end of the day; school was out! And despite the rather harsh wind outside, the children of 131 Wood View Elementary School were more than happy to get out of class.

Violet and Becky had taken their time however. There was no rush to get home and, to be honest, Violet loved to take long, slow walks; especially when it was with her best friend. She and Becky had spent less time together as of late.

Stretching, Becky let out a large yawn as she got up from her chair.

"Can we stop by my locker really quick before we go?"

"Sure."

The two girls stopped at Becky's locker and were on their way home, of course taking another detour to grab a school paper. Both the fraudulent and real papers were tucked away in Becky's book-bag to be used later.

"I'm really excited about this project," Violet smiled as the two left the building. "I want to be really creative with my book."

"Yeah," Becky sounded less enthused.

Violet dropped her smile and studied her friend for a moment. Becky had looked terrible all day and was not acting like her usual cheery self. She had been late to class, which Violet had never remembered Becky being before, and she had been nodding off all throughout the day. And though Violet didn't think anything too serious had happened to her friend, it was clear to see something was wrong.

"Becky,"

Sigh.

"Yes Violet?"

"Is something wrong?"

Becky seemed to be mulling over the question, but Violet remained quiet and waited for the response.

"Of course not." Becky turned her face away from her friend. "Wrong, why would something be wrong? In no way is something amiss. Nope, nothing at all."

Violet couldn't help but feel troubled by Becky's action. Having her friend turn away from her made her feel like Becky was hiding something, maybe even lying to her.

"You know," Violet spoke softly as if afraid her voice would hurt Becky. "If you ever need to talk about something, I'm willing to listen."

Becky continued to stare off in the other direction.

Pause.

"Really I'm fine Violet," Becky looked back at her friend with the most credible smile she could wear. "I'm just really tired today and I have a lot on my mind."

"Are you worried about the project?"

"Well . . ." Becky wasn't really worried about doing the homework as much as she was worried about having the time to commit to the assignment. Becky was even more concerned with how she could convince her parents to let her stay now that she knew Violet was going to be out of town. There was only an hour left before Becky's mother would get home and call Mrs. Heaslip.

"I guess I am a little . . ."

A strong gust of wind hit the girls causing them to stop their walk. Violet stopped for a moment to regain her bearings, but Becky stopped to listen to a faint sound being carried by the wind.

"Someone's crying for help in the country."

The wind stopped.

Violet looked to Becky to comment on what was said, but she wasn't given time as Becky spoke up again.

"Violet, I'm really sorry," Becky started backing away from her friend. "I think I, uh, forgot something in class."

"Oh, I'll go back with you."

"No!" That came out a bit desperately. "I mean, I don't want to hold you up. I can get it myself."

Becky ran off leaving Violet standing dumbfounded, and hurt. Becky always seemed so busy . . . and forgetful.

Violet sighed. She was really excited to walk home with Becky today, and now, seeing Becky acting so weird at school, Violet was beginning to wonder if something was wrong. Becky never acted like this. Maybe Becky didn't want to be best friends anymore. . .

Wait . . .

Why was Becky running in that direction? The school was down the other street.

Violet watched her friend turn around the corner and, as if it were timed, WordGirl suddenly went zooming through the air.

Could it be . . ?

No, there was no way Becky could be WordGirl.

Violet laughed to herself. Surely she knew her friend better than that. If Becky were WordGirl she defiantly would have told Violet, her best friend . . . but what if Becky didn't think of Violet as a best friend? What if Becky is WordGirl and that is the secret she's been hiding?

"That would explain why she seems so busy."

There had to be a way to find out.

But what if Becky didn't want her to know? If she tried to find out it would make Becky really unhappy with her and then they would never be friends again.

"What am I thinking?" Violet shook her head with a light smile. "Becky's not WordGirl, there's no way."

* * *

(A/N) Thank you for reading, and thank you those who have reviewed.


	4. Slice

_c.._ 3)~

"Word Up!"

WordGirl was off, and awkwardly having to carry her book-bag at the same time. There was no dry place to set it down before takeoff, so WordGirl decided it would be best just to take it with her. She could set it out of the way when she got to the cause of the trouble.

The cry sounded like it came from the edge of town being it was so faint. But as WordGirl approached the outskirts of the city, she was greeted by an even darker sky and a fiercer wind and then, something unexpected happened. It started to hail.

"Ouch-ack!"

WordGirl took refuge under a small group of trees.

"It's summer time," WordGirl brushed the bits of ice from her costume. "Why is it hailing?"

She didn't have time to muse over this however, the person was still screaming for help, but how could she fly in this weather? Well she couldn't do it with this book-bag, that was for sure.

WordGirl placed her bag on the driest spot she could find. It was under the thick canopy of the trees so it shouldn't take too much damage. WordGirl could only hope she would remember where she had left it, mostly for the papers that were in it.

WordGirl took the edges of her cape and covered her head. Regardless of the weather she could not leave that person alone when they needed help. She took to the skies once more, but at a much slower pace. Her cape blocked most of the hailstones from hitting her head, but those penny-sized spheres were really starting to hurt her back.

The wind began to pick up, so much so that flying was becoming impossible; WordGirl was just being pushed back.

It was at this point that the hail increased in size. The lumps were now about the size of golf balls.

Without any other option, WordGirl landed and again took shelter. These trees were not as protective as the ones she left her bag under.

Why had the weather gotten so bad?

"I'd better call Huggy."

Back at the Botsford residence, Bob had just settled back down into his warm, safe bed for some light reading. He pulled his favorite book from under his pillow and positioned his reading glasses perfectly center on his face.

There was nothing like reading to make one feel better on a rainy day.

WordGirl pressed the button on her communicator belt several times. She was hoping that even though Huggy wasn't in uniform, he may still hear the beeps from his belt. Unfortunately

WordGirl's plea fell on deaf ears. Huggyface had tucked his super suit under the bed since he wouldn't be using it for the next couple of days.

WordGirl sighed as she gave up. Huggy probably didn't know the weather report anyway.

The wind gave out a howl as the hail began to lighten.

"Now's my chance." WordGirl focused her attention to the rallying cry and took to the skies. The atmosphere had become peculiarly darker. It was only three in the afternoon and yet it could be mistaken for about seven in the evening.

Squinting, WordGirl peered into the distance. There was an old farm house which appeared to still be in use, but it was what lay beyond the house that caught WordGirl's attention.

Tornado

With all her might WordGirl pressed forward to the home landing close to the cellar in time to see a family of five struggling to get in. The father was fighting a losing battle to shut the door.

WordGirl gazed up once more at the twister heading for the house and this family's livelihood.

"Is everyone okay?!" WordGirl found herself screaming at the top of her lungs and barely being heard. She repeated herself and received a negative head shake from the father.

"My youngest son," The wind blocked out some of the message, but WordGirl could understand enough that the boy was last seen by the horse stables. WordGirl nodded as a promise to find him and then she assisted in shutting the door.

Flying was no longer an option as the winds had gotten strong. WordGirl was going to run out of time if she didn't hurry.

Holding onto farm equipment and firmly rooted plants, the tattered superhero made her way to the stable. The door just flung open at the slightest touch and, to WordGirl's amazement, about a dozen horses sprang out of the stables running off into the country side.

The wood creaked and bent to the harsh winds pounding upon it. WordGirl reluctantly stepped inside half expecting the building to crumble around her.

"Hello," She didn't have to strain so much to speak here. "Is anyone in here?"

"I . . . I am." The voice sounded petrified.

WordGirl followed the sound quickly to one of the stalls. It was apparent now that the boy must have been the one to release the horses from their enclosures. He looked to be about twelve years old and he was very shaken up.

"We need to get you back to the cellar and fast."

He was seated on the floor of the stall with his knees drawn close to him. He'd never seen such weather before nor had he ever been expected to do such a job before; free the horses and then save yourself. He had been so nervous while trying to open stalls that it took him too long.

"I can't go out there."

"You have to."

"I'll be blown away."

The boy had a point. The tornado was too close now for him to go outside.

The stable began to lean a bit.

How could she get this boy to safety? She was as strong as steel and was still getting hurt out there, there was no way she could move him through that wind. . . Somehow, she had to stop the tornado.

WordGirl left the stable shielding her eyes so that dust wouldn't be blown into them. She looked at the monster wind not knowing the full extent of its power; it was a category three.

Tornados were just spinning columns of air right?

She could kick herself for not listening during science today; it might have come in handy.

What could stop wind . . ? Think, think. If the wind hit something large maybe, but there was nothing large enough to stop a tornado. What about more wind? Maybe WordGirl could blow it away. . . But not on her own, maybe with a fan!

WordGirl looked around. There was a tin roof that was being ripped off one of the chicken coops. She tore the metal off and, with great difficulty under the circumstances, folded the thing into a large Chinese style fan.

Getting into the air proved more difficult than folding the fan.

The pint-sized heroine positioned herself as close as she could to the twister without being sucked out of the sky. She began fanning.

Up, down, side to side, nothing seemed to phase the devastating storm; there was no way she could combat it.

WordGirl let go of the tin allowing it to be ripped away by the wind. She watched it swirl around the dark vortex before it disappeared into the cloud of dust. Who was she kidding; she wasn't strong enough to blow a tornado away.

The tornado was now at the gate of the farm, it would be bearing down on the stable and the boy inside it in no time at all.

Well if WordGirl wasn't strong enough, maybe she was fast enough. If she could fly clockwise around the twister, perhaps she could stop it.

Perhaps? No she had to stop it.

There was a lot of stuff being kicked up by that tornado, if she intended to get close to that massive dust-devil she would have to brace herself for a lot of hurt.

Time to roll up her sleeves, so to speak and do what needed to be done.

The closer she got to the storm the stronger its grip on her became and the sound was unbearable. WordGirl was thankful her super hearing only kicked in when she wanted it to. Every object in the air, even specks of dirt, acted as missiles against the girl.

WordGirl tried to pick up speed, but the pain was very acute.

With visibility almost nil, WordGirl was completely taken aback when she was hit by a rather large object. Whatever it was threw the super hero off her flight path and into the mercy of the wind.

She was tossed about like fruit in a blender. Only this wasn't going to end with a nutritious snake but rather the death of a civilian.

Just then something snagged onto WordGirl's cape. Her body was pulled into a completely different direction as the contents of her cape rushed out and into her face.

Slice.

The pocket mirror had shattered and cut across her cheek; clean.

In some ways this storm seemed to embody her day. Too many things were going on all at once and she was getting tired of it, literally considering she hadn't gotten much sleep in the last few nights. With all this serving as her motivation, anger seemed to provide some hidden strength WordGirl was not aware of before. No one was going to die on her watch.

WordGirl stopped herself in mid air and held steady, several objects knocking into her but never moved her from the stationary position. Then suddenly with a loud boom, WordGirl was off.

She had never moved fast enough to cause a sonic boom before, but as she finished eight full rotations around the twister she felt she might never use this speed again.

Round and round she flew, fists out front to penetrate any object that got in her way. In no time at all the tornado began to weaken.

Without a minute to spear, or rather a yard, the twister dissipated dropping its contents and leaving the farm untouched; messy but untouched. All that was left were the dark clouds that would linger for several hours more.

The family upon hearing the violent wind stop exited the cellar to survey the damage and pray their son wasn't a part of it. To their utter amazement the farm house was still standing, everything was still standing.

The boy also came out of the stable and was warmly received by his family. It was a grand reunion and a joyful moment to see the house and farm still intact, but the family was not too overjoyed to notice their hero's spiral into the corn field. They quickly made their way out to her uncertain how hurt she maybe.

WordGirl's head was spinning. It seemed like such a good idea at the time to fly around that storm, but now she was so dizzy it was a wonder she hadn't fainted. Everything in the field was spinning; such a sickening sight.

WordGirl was laid out on her back when the family arrived. She had closed her eyes in hopes of regaining her equilibrium.

"WordGirl," the father knelt down. "You alright? Do we need to call a doctor?"

The mother joined her husband for a closer examination.

"She's all cut to pieces," a slight exaggeration. "We should take her to the house."

The family gathered around her, but WordGirl quickly protested.

"No, I'm fine." WordGirl was not too fond of doctors' visits; one blood test could revile her less than human disposition. "I just need a minute to rest."

The mother tired to help WordGirl sit up, but the girl's wooziness kept her down.

"Jeremy," the mother spoke to her middle son. "Go get her a glass of water."

The boy took off for the house.

"And grab a blanket too!"

After about five minutes WordGirl could sit up and was able to explain to the group how she had managed to stop the storm.

"Thank ya so much, WordGirl." The father extended his hand to help her up. "Without your help . . ."

"Oh it was nothing."

As WordGirl took hold of the man's hand she felt a sharp pain surge through her arm.

"Ow!"

"What's wrong?!"

The family huddled in again as the girl withdrew her right hand.

"I think I might have fractured something."

"Fractured means ya broke it right?"

"Yes, I think it's broke."

The mother bent over and helped the heroine to her feet before looking the arm over.

"Ya didn't break it dear; if ya did, you's wouldn't be able to move it, plus it would hurt a whole lot more."

"I must have sprained it then." Oh the irony.

"Are ya certain ya don't want us to call a doctor for ya?"

"I'm sure."

It was then WordGirl gave herself a good look over. She did look terrible. Her cape was missing and her costume had several large gashes in it with the left pant leg partially torn off. That leg also had a few cuts which remained WordGirl of the decent size cut she had received on her face. And though she couldn't see the cut, the stares the oldest daughter was giving it confirmed its severity. There were numerous bruises she could feel throbbing in varies places and to make matters worse;

Exhaustion.

But despite all this, Becky still needed to deal with her lie. WordGirl's eyes were still too blurred to read her watch so she turned to the family again.

"Do you know what time it is?"

"Why it's three forty-eight."

WHAT! That only left thirteen minutes before her mom would get home.

"I'm glad I could be of assistance good luck with, everything else." WordGirl took off, in a very crooked flight pattern.

What was she going to do? She had spent the whole hour battling the elements. She didn't have enough time to conjure up a new plan for staying home. If only Mrs. Heaslip would let her stay.

She needed to get home and . . . Huggy might have an idea. She could ask Huggy.

It would have been nice if he hadn't gotten his ankle sprained, then he could have been helping her out all day. Stupid Tobey and his robots . . . and machines.

This was going to be one of the worst ideas she would ever think up, but with the situation teetering on the edge of disaster, who was going to keep record anyway, and if she were willing to drag her friends into her scheming, why not her enemies as well.

(A/N) I hope everyone reading this on the date it was posted has a Good Friday and a Happy Easter. Just another reminder that this story was written for season 1 and may not perfectly line up with info from season 2, though I'll try.


	5. Word

Disclaimer- I don't own WordGirl and co. I don't endorse, nor own, the Webster or Random House dictionary series nor the Britannica and Lexicon Encyclopedia series.

* * *

Boredom.

Rainy days always made for boring, tedious, dull, mind-numbing, lackluster, uninspiring, humdrum afternoons.

Was that the best word list he could come up with?

Boring- dreary, tiresome, unexciting, monotonous, uninteresting, lifeless, bland, tame . . . jaded, irksome . . .

He was out of words. How could he, Theodore Tobey MacCallister III, come up with this, a word list that wouldn't even impress a preschooler let alone WordGirl?

Sigh.

Tobey had gotten comfortable at his desk, removing his vest and bow tie, and had begun working on some new robot designs. He also took off his glasses as he didn't really need them but to see at great distances which drawing didn't call for.

The boy had preoccupied himself with this for the past forty-eight minutes. To be honest he was just trying to dodge the new babysitter his mother had hired. Her name was Liz, or something, and she was a complete wreck. She couldn't cook, couldn't clean; the most Tobey had seen her do was study for her geometry final next week. When he had come home that afternoon Liz had only managed to say,

"I really need to study so do whatever you want quietly."

Apparently she hadn't taken his mother's warning seriously. Not that it matter, Tobey couldn't take his robots out anyway.

Just then, a little tapping could be heard, then a more urgent one.

Tobey looked up from his blue prints at the blurred image of the door. What on earth could that babysitter possibly want?

Tobey stood and opened the bedroom door.

"What do you . . ?"

Liz wasn't there. Strange, he could have sworn he heard knocking.

The noise happened again louder. It was coming from the window.

Still holding the handle of the door, Tobey turned to face the window on the opposite side of the room.

Were his eyes deceiving him, which they very well could have been doing as he did not have his glasses on, or was that . . .? It almost looked like WordGirl was at the window. Wouldn't that be a pleasant surprise.

Tobey quickly closed the door as he reached for his glasses on the desk. Positioning them on his face, the obscurity in the window became Becky Botsford. Not only a disappointment, but a very queer one.

Tobey raised an eyebrow. Why was she here? And why did she look like she had been hit and then dragged by a train?

She seemed pretty adamant on getting him to open that window and, under the circumstances, he was more than willing to oblige.

Becky could be no happier that Tobey's bedroom was on the bottom floor of his house for Becky 'couldn't' fly. After her costume had been ruined there was no way she could ask this favor as WordGirl and it wouldn't be good to knock on the door and have to explain to Ms. MacCallister why she had come. In this last ditch effort, she would have to get what she needed as Becky.

"I need your help." Becky spoke between gasps. Getting back to the city in record time was almost as exhausting as the fight with the tornado.

Instinctively Tobey wanted to refuse, but seeing her like that caused for an instant change of heart.

"I can call a doctor?"

What was it with people and doctors? She couldn't have looked that bad. Other than the mark on her face her school clothes were covering any other cuts, bruises, and scraps.

"No, I need a voice altering machine."

"No, I think you need medical attention." Tobey headed for the door in hopes that Liz would be able to spear a minute or two to call a doctor.

"Listen to me; I only have ten minutes to make this work,"

Tobey stopped.

"I need a voice altering machine that can be called from any phone that I choose and replicate any person I need it to. Do you have it?"

"Maybe . . ."

Becky was acting anxious. Why would she want something like that? Only naughty children asked for things like that.

"Please Tobey; I really, really need it."

This was going to take some consideration.

"What's in it for me?"

"Whatever you want," that could be a regrettable choice of words. "Within reasonable limits."

"Well I'll just have to think about that, what could I possibly want that you could give me."

Even though Becky looked awful, there was still some kind of pleasure that could be drawn from making her beg, especially after that threatening comment she made that morning. He never did get back at her for that, of course now hardily seemed like the time.

As for Becky, she was clinging to the window sill just to hold herself up. She couldn't believe she was sinking so low as to ask Tobey for help. Why did her parents have to go on vacation? Why did a tornado have to touch down today? And why couldn't she think of any other plan?

"Can we discuss that later, right now I only have," Becky glanced at her watch. "Eight Minutes!"

"Aren't we pushy."

"Please Tobey." She was going to lose her patience.

"Fine, come in and I'll retrieve it for you."

"You mean through the window?"

"What else would possibly I mean."

"You could have wanted me to come through the front door."

"Just get in here."

Becky rolled her eyes. This was going to be a very, enduring eight minutes.

As Becky tried to lift herself up into the window, a sudden stinging sensation spread through her arm. She breathed deep to hold back a yelp of pain. Tobey didn't seem to notice as he was leaving the room. Maybe she did need some medical attention.

Once Becky was certain Tobey was away from the door, she floated herself on into the room.

"He'd better hurry up."

Becky could think of nothing else to stay in the city. She would pretend she was Violet's mom and agree to watch herself over the summer. As long as she kept the two parents from meeting each other in between that time she should be okay.

Becky looked around the room she was in; she never would have imagined it to be decorated like this. For a kid obsessed with robots, Tobey's room design reflected a child more fascinated with astronomy than destruction. From star chats to rocket models, Becky could hardly find evidence suggesting a love of robotics. Perhaps the bookshelf would shine some light on the subject.

Four types of dictionaries: Webster, Oxford, Random House, and the Webster's Slang Dictionary; Webster's thesaurus; two encyclopedia series: Britannica and the Lexicon Universal Encyclopedia; an Almanac for the years 2000 through 2007; The Bible? A scrap book labeled "My Favorite WordGirl Memories,"

Becky quit reading.

That bookshelf wasn't helpful at all; in fact it would probably evoke nightmares for the next four weeks.

Sleep. Such a beautiful word.

Tobey then re-entered the room holding a medium sized machine. Attached was a receiver, several buttons and a few other things.

"Here you are, a voice alteration device that can have you mimicking any voice recorded on it."

Recorded?

"What do you mean 'recorded?'"

"I mean the person you wish to sound like must be recorded before you can imitate them."

There was only five minutes left.

"Can I call from that thing to get the voice?"

"Of course. That's what this thing was built for."

Tobey set the machine down on his bed and handed the receiver to Becky.

"First let's set up the number of the person you wish to have call this machine."

Tobey pressed a few buttons and then waited for Becky to disclose the number. Reluctantly she gave her phone number to him and then Violet's to be called for voice recording.

The receiver rang a few times and then Mrs. Heaslip picked up. Tobey pressed another button on the device; most likely record.

"Hello."

Becky listened to the sound of her friend's mother. She sounded happy completely unaware of the scheme being plotted around her. She spoke again.

"Hello, anyone there."

Becky couldn't bring herself to speak. She couldn't . . .

"Hello . . . oh well."

Hang up.

"Success." Tobey messed with the machine a few moments longer and then looked to Becky. "You'll now be able to impersonate when your caller dials."

Becky didn't respond.

"You need to hang up the receiver for the call to come through."

Becky just stood shaking a bit. She held the phone tightly in her hand.

Now Tobey was a bit concerned.

"How about you give that to me," Tobey took the phone out of Becky's hand and placed it back on the holder. "And you take a seat on the bed and wait for your call."

Becky did as instructed. A tad out of character for her, but then again so was showing up a mess and doing something deceitful. Interesting behavior for Becky Botsford. She seemed like such a nice girl and yet here she was asking him, someone she knew to be evil, for help.

For whatever reason this made Tobey think back to earlier that day. He had recently begun teasing Becky about being WordGirl. He always got a kick out of how upset it made her for whatever reason. Her actions now disqualified her for the part of super hero. Tobey didn't know what she was doing with this phone call, but it defiantly didn't merit hero status. Yet it was worth contemplating why she was doing something bad.

"You know, I don't recall you telling me why you're doing this, or why you look so, sickly."

"I'm tired."

"That doesn't explain why you're half dead."

"I'm not half dead."

"Fine, half alive. However you want to think about it." Tobey went back to his desk and sketched away at his designs. Perhaps it wasn't worth fighting over, he'd know soon enough from the phone conversation.

Becky waited for the call.

Mrs. Botsford must have gotten home a little later than usual as it ended up being another ten minutes before the phone rang.

The fated call.

Tobey turned from his work to watch Becky.

Becky let the phone ring twice before slowly placing a hand on the receiver. Was she really going to do this? She was lying to save the city; Mrs. Heaslip was going to watch Becky while WordGirl saved the day. But this felt like Becky was betraying her family's trust. They would never know and yet, Becky felt so wrong.

A third ring. Becky answered.

"He . . .hello." Very timid.

"Hello Mrs. Heaslip it's me Mrs. Botsford."

No response.

"Becky's mom." Mrs. Botsford stated.

"Oh, I know."

"So how are you today?"

Becky wasn't certain what to answer that with.

"I'm good, I guess. You?"

"I am having a very wonderful afternoon save for that rain storm."

"Yeah, it rained."

Tobey shook his head. Becky was a terrible liar. It was pitiful to watch.

"I actually called to ask you a rather big favor."

"Oh, I'm good with favors. I just love helping people and, um, I would be devastated if I couldn't assist you."

Who in their right mind talked like? Tobey couldn't understand this. So awful. Whatever she was trying to do she was about to screw it up talking like that. Even though they weren't really on friendship terms, perhaps he should try to assist her in this 'favor.'

Tobey rose from his desk and snatched the phone from Becky. She immediately stood to fight him back for it.

"Will you give that back." Becky whispered not wanting to be heard on the phone, but Tobey spoke into it.

"Could you give me a second?" He had dropped his fake accent for the phone and regained it to whisper back at Becky. "I don't know what you're trying to do, but you're not going to fool anyone talking like that."

"It's my problem and I want you to butt out of it." The last thing she wanted him to know was she was planning to stay behind on a family vacation without supervision. "Give me back the phone."

"You're clearly inexperienced at lying . . ."

"Give. Me. The. Phone."

"Fine," Tobey tossed the receiver to Becky.

"Thank you."

"I'll just turn off the machine and you can explain to your caller the situation."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

Becky could feel her eye twitch just then. She was so livid that, for a moment there, it almost, looked like the room, went, black for a moment, it was . . . black.

Becky then felt very dizzy; she sat back on the bed. She had to finish this phone call.

"Okay, it's my mom you're talking to. You're Violet's mom. Tell mom that you don't mind watching me for a month after she asks."

Tobey raised an eyebrow then went back to the phone conversation.

"Sorry, Violet wanted to ask me something."

Becky blinked a few times and touched her face. Though the bleeding had mostly stopped, Becky still got a little blood on her hands. She needed to clean that, but at the same time, she was just so tired.

"Watch Becky over the summer? I think I can do that."

Tobey glanced over at his guest to see her closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. She looked near fainting, but he couldn't interrupt the phone call to check.

"It's no trouble at all . . . Really I don't mind. Becky's so well behaved and Violet really loves her company. . . If you'd like to send Becky over with some spending money I'd appreciate it . . . Don't worry this isn't a burden at all. I'll see her in two weeks? . . . Okay. You're welcome. . . Good bye." Tobey hung up the phone and went to examine Becky. "What happened to you? I'm getting a first aid kit."

Tobey left his room and went down the hall past Liz. She looked up from her books and watched the eleven year old run by. She took her head set off and waited for the boy to pass again.

"Hey Tobey,"

Tobey stopped at the mention of his name holding the first aid kit.

"What are ya doin'?"

This might have been a good time to explain to Liz what was going on, but then again it probably wouldn't look too good if she found out he had sneaked one of his machines out of mother's closet. Liz had been instructed not to let him near it.

" . . . stuff."

"Well, I'm gonna order a pizza, whatcha want on it?"

"Oh, edible substances." Tobey left his babysitter. Encouragingly she probably wouldn't check on him again.

When Tobey got back to his room Becky had stood back up and looked to be trying to leave.

"Wait, hold on a minute."

"Tobey," Becky was having so much trouble just trying to keep her eyes open. "I'm tired. I'm heading home."

"You still owe me for the use of my equipment."

"What do you want?"

"For starters, how about a look at your face?"

Tobey placed the kit on his desk and removed a small mirror from it. He then held it up so Becky could see her face. Watching her squint, Tobey came closer so she could get a better look.

She did look awful. Her hair was all frizzed out, her eyes tinted red; she looked like a walking disaster. The cut on her face seemed to be the most pronounced however. It was clearly going to get infected if she didn't properly clean it.

"Okay I'll admit I look bad, but I don't need a doctor or anything like that."

"I already know you can't lie."

Tobey couldn't help but smirk. As stated before, Tobey and Becky had never been on friendship terms, but after this afternoon Tobey couldn't help but feel more admiration for Becky. She was willing to be just as mischievous as he was, which did give her a certain charm. If he did ever want to make 'friends' with any of his classmates, it would be with her. Though she wasn't anywhere near as intelligent as he, Becky did display more smarts than anyone else his age, save for WordGirl of course.

Well, whatever the logic behind it, Tobey now perceived it safe to feel pity for Becky.

"Sit down."

Tobey held the mirror out while Becky cleansed the mark on her face, a task that proved difficult as Becky's eyesight started blurring. She couldn't seem to focus on anything and her head was beginning to ache from her battle earlier.

She needed to get home to bed.

"Thanks, but I must be going . . ." Becky stood to her feet; her knees buckled under her weight. Her body had reached its limit. One sleepless night combined with a stressful morning and sideswiped by a massive windstorm lead to Becky fainting into the arms of her host which, being as weak as he was, ended with both of them falling back onto the bed.

Becky had managed to fall completely asleep and was resting on Tobey's chest. Tobey's entire face flushed red. This had to be the most awkward situation he had ever found himself in.

At least no wisecracks were being made.

"Uh," Tobey lightly began tapping Becky's shoulder. "Becky, get up. Please get up." But she did not wake up, instead she made herself more comfortable by hugging him much like she would a teddy bear or pillow. Tobey's response was to turn another dark shade of red.

He had never been this close to a girl before, not that he was implying he had any feelings for Becky of course. No he liked WordGirl; this was just some embarrassing accident that he was involved in, right? Sure Becky was pretty smart and looking at her now she was kind of, cute . . . but he didn't like her at all and they weren't even friends . . . This point cannot be stressed enough!

Tobey slowly sat up removing Becky's grip on him. He climbed out of the bed still a bright crimson.

That was odd and kind of, nice . . . No not nice! Disgusting, it was disgusting!

What was he suppose to do now? He couldn't tell Liz he had some sleeping girl in his room. Maybe Becky had narcolepsy. He knew she needed a doctor.

Tobey pushed his glasses back a bit.

"Becky, you need to get up."

That wasn't working. He couldn't afford to make any loud noises or else Liz would hear and would want to know what was going on. That would be an interesting conversation.

The only thing to do was, well, wait for her to wake up on her own.

By this time Tobey's blushing had stopped and he seemed to gain a bit more of his composure.

Becky looked peaceful in her sleep and obviously she had needed it. Whatever it was that roughed her up had seriously taken its toll on her. It would probably be a good idea to finish bandaging her face while waiting.

Playing doctor, Tobey applied an anti-scaring agent to a bandage and placed it on Becky's cheek. He then proceeded to remove her shoes only to find that her stockings were wet. Very unhygienic to have wet feet, not to mention they would get his bed wet too.

With an aggravated sigh and the full intent of washing his hands afterward, Tobey yanked Becky's socks off and tossed them to the floor. This revealed Becky's left leg however.

"What have you been doing?"

Becky's leg had been cut up pretty badly. What could Becky possibly be doing that would hurt her like this and with such a sleeping disorder.

Whatever the reason, Tobey could only hope Becky's nap would be a short one.

* * *

(A/N) Thanks for reading, do review. And the Lexicon Company did make an encyclopedia series. I hope you enjoyed.


	6. Investigate

1Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this chapter. I do not own this show. But the plot, yeah, that's mine.

He'd been free for two days now, yet no evil scheme had come to him. That meant that forty-eight whole hours had past and he had managed to obtain zero amounts of cheese.

Dr. Two-Brains stood staring at a blank chalk board while his two henchmen began another rousing game of cards.

"I could try ransoming the city's cheese . . .no I've tried that. Well I could . . .wait. . . I failed at that too. Argh, it's useless."

Dr. Two-Brains took a seat on a nearby crate and watched his henchmen bicker amongst themselves. How was it that no matter what he did, he always ended up cheese-less? His plans were foolproof, yet somehow that WordGirl always found a way to ruin them?

Even his most complex plans could be out done by her. If WordGirl didn't exist things would be better.

"You know what boys," the doctor rose to his feet interrupting the card game. "My plans would be perfect if it wasn't for WordGirl."

The two men stopped their card game to acknowledge the doctor.

"We already know that boss."

Two-Brains sighed at his men's response.

"Yes, of course. But you know what I have been doing wrong?"

"Stealin'."

"Not criminally wrong you dolts, I mean to say that all this time I have just been planning to steal cheese and escape WordGirl."

"So,"

"Well, what would happen if the plan was to get WordGirl to steal the cheese for me?"

"Uh,"

"I would win is what would happen."

Two-Brains rubbed his hands together. This plan might work. Other villains had mastered mind control and whatnot, why couldn't he. If WordGirl was the problem than it was only logical that she should provide the solution. Heck, maybe he wouldn't even need mind control.

"It can't be too hard," he mused returning to his chalk board. "I mean, WordGirl is only some ten year old child who should be easily manipulated, right?"

The henchmen didn't answer. They found it best to just let the doctor talk to himself during times like these. He always seemed to get the best responses from himself anyway.

"Yes mouse brain, we could lure her here on the premise that we have the power to destroy the city. It's so simple! Ha ha!"

Dr. Two-Brains quickly began jotting notes on the board as the tallest of his henchmen pointed the cards out to his co-worker. They returned to playing with the soft tapping of chalk behind them.

_o_

A rather disappointed Violet had decided to take the long way home. She needed more time to think. Was it possible that Becky didn't want to be friends with her anymore, and even more importantly, was Becky WordGirl?

"Maybe Becky is WordGirl but doesn't know it. She's sleep walking . . . sleep flying around saving the day. Oh yes, that could be it. And every night she forgets who she is and can only remember being Becky."

Gasp!

"I can't let that happen to Becky. What if she forgets who she is all together!? But what can I do, she doesn't know she needs help and I have to leave next week. There has to be a way to stop the WordGirl take over." Violet rounded a corner still lost in her thoughts.

"Yet Becky wouldn't like it if her hero self was discovered and exposed unless she could find a way to get rid of WordGirl and just be Becky. That would be more right. I should try to separate the two so they can be happy people living apart. That is. . . if Becky is WordGirl."

Violet had been so distracted by her muses, she didn't notice the camera tripod in front of her until she had walked right into it.

The girl let out a short yelp as she tried to catch the falling camera. Luckily the camera's owner was fast enough to perceive the situation and save his equipment. Scoops had been setting up his camera across the street from Ye Old Fancy Schmancy Jewelry Store when Violet arrived.

"Hey! watch where you're going."

"Oh, sorry." Violet smiled as the angered photographer reset his camera. "Hey, you're Todd. You work on the school's paper."

"Just call me Scoops. I've told you that before." The boy continued working.

"Right, at Becky's birthday party. Do you remember seeing me there?"

"Well if I remembered that I had talked to you before. .."

"Ha, I'm Violet."

"I already know that . . ."

Violet extended her hand which Scoops reluctantly shook. He had seen Violet many times before. There wasn't anything really interesting about her; save for that one time she dressed up and played hero. That was a fun story to report.

There was another quick gust of wind at which Scoops held his tripod steady.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, again, but I really need to set up for this shoot by tonight. . ."

Violet watched the reporter slowly begin to move his tripod off the sidewalk and into the grass. He seemed busy, but Violet couldn't help but wonder if maybe he could help her with her WordGirl problem.

"Hey, you've spent a lot of time with WordGirl right?"

"What about her; you gotta story?"

Scoops left the camera and reached for his note pad.

"No, I was just wondering if you thought WordGirl was an alien parasite that latched onto people."

. . .?

Maybe Violet was a tad more interesting than he had originally thought.

"Why would you think that?"

"Well, I've known Becky for a long time . . ."

"I thought we were talking about WordGirl?"

"Oh we are." Violet laughed, realizing she was getting ahead of herself. "Well WordGirl is a really nice person, I've worked with her several times, but I was just thinking that maybe WordGirl and Becky were the same person, but when Becky changes into WordGirl, she is unable to remember the experience."

Violet observed a confused expression creep onto Scoop's face. He nodded to show he was following the statement, but was having trouble understanding.

"I think WordGirl is taking over Becky's mind, or maybe Becky's having amnesia when she changes into WordGirl."

Violet bobbed happily at her statement; it sounded so right. Scoops on the other hand only laughed at the girl's reasoning.

"That's ridiculous," Scoops' laughter subsided. "WordGirl maybe an alien, but there's no way she's some kind of bug thing. That stuff only exists in movies."

Violet frowned. Hearing it that way did make it sound foolish to believe.

"Besides," Scoops continued. "I've already investigated Becky. I thought she was WordGirl too, but it turns out she's not very good with words."

The reporter went back to focusing his camera, placing his notebook back in his pocket.

Violet stood and watched him for a moment as she went back over the facts in her head. First, Becky was always running off or really busy, but that could be for any number of reasons. Second, Becky was never seen in the same place with WordGirl, but again that could be a coincidence. Violet decided it wouldn't hurt to ask about Scoop's opinion.

"Why'd you think Becky was WordGirl?"

"Well, I was doing this report on the city Vocab Bee where I thought Becky was pretty good at vocabulary. Between every part of the competition, however, she would suddenly run off, and one time she came back with evidence suggesting she was currently at a crime scene. A place only WordGirl would go. But the real tip off was a cape I had found on her person."

"Wow, that's a lot of proof."

"Well I thought so too since Becky looks a whole lot like WordGirl and has a pet monkey, but get this, Becky failed the contest because she didn't know the definition for the word 'perfect.' I mean, come on; WordGirl would never have missed that easy word."

Violet pondered that for a few seconds.

"Do you think Becky missed that word on purpose?" Violet's question was innocent enough. She only wanted to know so she could help Becky.

Scoops froze. What if Becky threw the competition so he wouldn't figure out her secret? He had told her he knew before she went on stage, maybe she had fooled him.

"You know what kid? You could be right."

"Yeah I could."

"There has to be a way to get more solid evidence." Scoops rubbed his chin as Violet continued to smile aimlessly. "Violet you're her best friend right?"

"Oh well," Violet wasn't certain of that anymore. "I think I might be. . ."

"Great! We could use this to our benefit."

"We?"

"Yeah of course! You're the one pickin' up on Becky's subtle hints. Between the two of us I bet we could crack this case wide open!"

"I don't want to crack anything; I just want to help Becky."

Scoops laughed aloud again before pulling his notebook out. He began writing vigorously as Violet did her best to try and understand what Scoops had meant.

"Here take this," Scoops handed the notebook over to Violet. "If Becky does anything suspicious in the next few days, write it down."

"Oh, okay."

Violet held the little book and gazed at it with oddity.

"And I mean anything suspicious. Sooner or later WordGirl's gonna slip up and say or do something that will revile whether or not she's Becky. And when she does, I'll be the first to know!"

Scoops thrust his fists into the air. This could be the big break he'd been looking for, and it couldn't have come at a better time. With him moving up to middle school there was no better way to get on the news board than to expose WordGirl's secret identity. This could also give him the boost needed to impress the Big City Times.

Violet on the other hand was not as excited about the new assignment she'd been given. The pad in her hand seemed to feel like a sack of silver coins.

"How will this help Becky?"

Scoops stopped his victory dance.

"Oh um, well," Scoops didn't believe Violet's story about Becky's temporary amnesia, but to humor her; "You want to know for sure that Becky is WordGirl don't you?"

"Yeah, but I don't think exposing her as WordGirl would make her very happy."

"That's if she even is WordGirl," Scoops had to play his cards just right or else Violet might be too reluctant to turn Becky in; a good quality for a friend but not for an ace reporter. "It won't hurt her to tell the city who she is. We'd be doing her a favor."

"Really?"

"Of course, she won't have to hide it from us anymore and . . ."

"And that means she wouldn't have to stop being my friend. That's so smart. Thank you." Violet shook Scoops hand again happy she had found a way to help Becky. "I can't wait to help her."

"Just remember to write everything down. I'll be spending some extra time around WordGirl so I'll jot down suspicious activity from her."

"So you'll talk with WordGirl? I understand. Is that why you're setting up this camera?"

Scoop frowned at this.

"This shot is none of your business."

Harsh.

Violet immediately apologized. She hadn't realized the secrecy Scoops was trying to set up around his work. Violet then bid her goodbyes and made her way home. It was surprisingly going on five o'clock and she didn't want to worry her mother.

_o_

A dreamless sleep.

Becky found herself waking up with a small headache. She groaned as her eyes tried to adjust to the lighting of the room.

Becky slowly sat up and was quickly reminded of the day's events by a dull aching in her wrist. She wished today could have been a bad dream, yet she had really fought a tornado today. And that meant. . .

Weariness vanished as Becky began looking around the room. This wasn't her house; she had fallen asleep in Tobey's bedroom.

Gross.

If she hadn't been in so much pain, Becky would have shivered at the thought.

It was then Becky noticed that she had been, tucked in?

Apparently Tobey had taken the time to remove her shoes and socks, cover her up, draw the drapes and place a glass of water on the night stand. It was then Becky also noted that her face had been bandaged along with the marks on her legs.

Had Tobey really done something, nice?

Becky wasn't certain what to do now. She couldn't just leave, could she? What about the phone call!? Had her plan worked?

Becky pulled the covers off and got out of the bed. She was a bit wobbly at first, but she recovered quickly. She needed to find Tobey and then get out of this place.

She went to the door and opened it slightly. Becky didn't want to gain the attention of Ms. MacCallister if she were home, for that would just create an awkward situation that Becky didn't feel like dealing with.

There was no one in the hall. Becky used her super hearing to try and locate the occupants of the house. It sounded like Tobey and maybe a babysitter were in the dining room. And if her nose was still working properly, it smelt like pizza night.

Becky's stomach let out a growl. She hadn't realized how hungry she was. What time was it?

Becky shook off the idea of food and sneaked out into the hall. Peering into the living room Becky was able to catch Tobey's eye from the dining area. She signaled for him to come and then went back to the bedroom to wait for him.

"It's about time you got up." Tobey entered the room and shut the door behind him.

"What happened with the phone call? What did my mom say?"

"She was okay with you staying at 'Violet's' house."

Becky breathed a sigh of relief until Tobey continued.

"So where are you staying for the next month?"

"It's None of your business."

Tobey laughed a bit.

"I think it is my business as your mother is going to be calling in to check on you, and I'll be receiving every one of those calls."

Becky hadn't thought of that.

"What would you like me to tell her? Oh, Becky is hiding out somewhere and I haven't the slightest where she could be."

"Tobey, you have to let me borrow that machine."

"No, I don't."

"Yes you do."

"No. I don't."

Becky wasn't going to get in a scream off with him over it.

"What if I pay you for the use of the machine?"

"What with? The hundred your mother is sending you to Violet's with?"

"Sure. And you let me have the machine all month long; no questions asked."

Tobey pondered the deal for a moment before speaking again.

"One more thing,"

"What."

"You let me take you out for ice-cream Friday after school."

It was Becky's turn to raise an eyebrow now.

"What did you just say?"

"I want to take you out for ice-cream Friday. What are you deaf too?"

"No. What is it with you and ice-cream?"

"What . . ?"

"Nothing."

"Look either you go or I'm taking the machine back!"

"Fine."

Did she really have a choice?

Becky was finally on her way home with the voice altering device. As she limped up her driveway she couldn't help but feel that today had been more counterproductive than anything else. But it was nice to finally be home and soon in her 'own' bed.

But before that wish could be realized, Mr. Botsford made it a point to greet his daughter when she got home.

"Hey there Sweetie."

"Hi dad."

"So how are you this afternoon?"

" . . . Good."

"Glad to hear it."

Becky was baffled. Did her dad not notice that his daughter looked like she'd been beaten up? Oh well, it was for the best. She could clean up once she got to her bedroom.

Mr. Botsford then began to eye the machine his daughter had brought home.

"What's that you got there?"

"Oh uh, a science project?" Becky smiled.

"That's great. You know I always loved science in school,"

"I'd love to hear about it, but I really need to get back to work on, this project. Love ya dad."

Becky quickly walked past her father and up the stairs.

"Oh, okay Becky. Dinner will be ready in a few."

Mrs. Botsford entered the living room from the kitchen holding several plates. Her husband smiled at her amusingly.

"See, she was probably late because she stayed after to work on her science project. Becky's fine."

Mrs. Botsford began setting the table.

"She didn't seem too excited to talk to you."

"She just got back from school. She's probably tired."

"Maybe." Mrs. Botsford finished the table and headed back into the kitchen. Her husband followed.

"So what are we having?"

"Becky's favorite . . ."

"Wait, I always cook the kids' favorite foods."

Mrs. Sally Botsford rolled her eyes. She had asked to do the cooking tonight because she was hoping to show Becky how much she cared for her.

"It's only for tonight dear."

"Yeah, but it's still my job."

"Why don't you continue setting the table."

Upstairs, Becky was within four feet of her bedroom door when her brother bolted out of his room and jumped out in front of her. He looked really excited about something but then calmed down.

"What happened to you?"

"Nothing T.J."

"That band-aid's big enough to cover your whole face."

"That's an exaggeration."

"No it's not," T.J. crossed his arms. "It might not be all true, but that band-aid is huge."

"That's kind of what an 'exaggeration' is. When you state that something is more than what it really is, you're exaggerating. Like saying this bandage is as big as my face; if it were I wouldn't be able to see."

"Yeah whatever. Did you hear about Dr. Two-Brains?" T.J. was excited to get past that boring conversation and onto one about his hero. "He was on T.V. again warning the city that if they did give him a plethora of cheese, he would destroy the whole city!"

"What?!"

"I don't even know what he would want with Plethora Cheese; it sounds gross."

"Plethora isn't a kind of cheese; plethora means excessive or mass amounts." Becky gritted her teeth. "Dr. Two-Brains wants the city to give him large amounts of cheese. Well not if I . . .I, I mean WordGirl can help it."

"Yeah! WordGirl's gonna kick his butt!"

Suddenly the weight of the voice machine began to put strain on Becky's sprained wrist.

"You know what T.J." Becky was trying not to let her pain slip out in her speech. "Why don't you go downstairs and watch the news. I'm sure there will be more about it on and I would love to hear every detail about it at dinner."

"Yeah, Maybe WordGirl will show up." T.J. trotted off.

Becky managed to open her bedroom door and plop the machine down on the floor. Becky then held her wrist with her good left hand. It didn't look swollen or anything, but it sure was sore.

Becky was greeted by the happy chirps of her dearest friend and life-long companion, Bob. He was greatly concerned when he noticed the state she was in and addressed the issue accordingly, allowing Becky to voice for him.

"I'm fine, Bob."

Becky grimaced in pain as she let go of her wrist. Bob knew better than to believe her.

"I had a little run in with a tornado today . . . I'm fine, really. Besides this is the least of my worries. Where were you when I called?"

Bob shrugged.

"What do you mean you didn't hear me? Where's your supper suit?"

Bob pointed under Becky's bed sheepishly.

"You put it under there because you thought you wouldn't need it? Bob I've told you to be ready at all times! I could have died today!" Becky managed not to yell at her friend, but her tone was still a bitter one.

Bob whimpered and pulled the sheets of his monkey bed over his head.

"I'm sorry Bob. I've just had a really rough day, and thanks to Dr. Two-Brains it's about to get a lot harder."

Bob then spoke up and pointed to the machine.

"That? I'll explain that later, what we need to focus on now is how we're going to track Two-Brains before he hurts the city. . . Don't worry I'm not too hurt to hunt him down. . . I do not look like a train wreck. . . I know I was up all night, but I took a nap so I'll be fine. . . When did I take a nap?"

Becky felt her face become hot. For some reason it was embarrassing to admit.

"I actually fell asleep at Tobey's house, but I don't want to think about him again until Friday; right now we need to . . ."

Bob coughed heavily.

"Why does it matter what's happening Friday? . . . I promised Tobey I'd spend the afternoon with him, but it was in exchange for the machine . . . I do not have a crush on him! What happened that day was him manipulating our search for that remote so he could spend time with WordGirl . . . I did not enjoy it! Now I said focus on Dr. Two-Brains!"

Flustered.

Bob was just teasing, but the funny thing was that if Tobey really did go 'good,' he and Becky would doubtlessly get along swimmingly. Not that he supported them as a couple; it was just interesting to think about. Moving on,

Becky stood in front of the mirror and examined herself quickly. She was beyond basic repair, so she decided a quick shower before dinner would help her hide her injuries better.

Becky washed up and went downstairs to dinner. She could explain that she cut her face while working on her science project; that sounded true enough. She was surprised to see her mother had cooked her favorite meal and dessert. That was nice.

As promised T.J. began filling the family in on the news he had heard about Dr. Two-Brains. Becky listened intently as she practically shoveled food into her mouth. She was starving and hard pressed for time. She needed to find Two-Brains as soon as possible.

Sally watched her two kids; of course Becky more so. Her children were growing up and changing. One day they would both be gone. It was a very sobering moment for her. Sally had never really thought of the things she was forced to think about today. To her, those kids were perfect. She had a perfect family. Today had somehow changed that.

Instead of the happy times she had become so accustom to while living here, distressing moments of reflection seemed to be inching their way through the walls.

T.J.'s sudden excitement startled Sally from her thoughts.

"He said he was going to destroy the whole city. Ka-Boom! Just like that. He wants the city to give up its cheese by the end of the week or else."

Sally frowned at her son.

"Let's not talk about that at the dinner table."

"But mom," Becky paused from her eating. "I really want to hear about it."

"Aren't you curious about our decision?"

Becky had completely forgotten to ask about staying with Violet. She already knew the answer. Becky wasn't certain how she should respond when her mother told her.

"Mrs. Heaslip has agreed to watch you over the summer."

"Great!" Becky faked. It was then she realized that she had forgotten her book-bag and the Daily Rag at the farm. Why did they allow her to stay without the reason of summer activities? Oh well, everything had worked out. She was going to stay with the city; problem solved.

"I want you to be on your best behavior Becky."

"Of course mom."

"And I'm going to give you some money that I want you to give to Mrs. Heaslip, understood."

". . ." She understood, but the fact was that money would probably go toward destroying buildings, not helping pay for Becky's inconvenient stay. "Yes."

"Good."

The rest of dinner went on without a hitch. Mr. Tim Botsford then set up a board game for the family to which Becky was forced to refuse.

"Come on Becky," Mr. Botsford held out a game piece to his daughter. "At least for one game."

"Sorry dad," Becky made her way to the stairs. "I have to get the science project done."

"Okay, but be careful."

"Will do."

Becky closed the door to her bedroom and faced Bob who had made himself comfortable on her bed.

"Well Bob, it's time to patrol the city and find Dr. Two-Brains. . . I know your ankle still hurts; I'll carry you. . . I'll sleep when I get back; the sooner we find him the sooner we can go to bed. Come on Huggy. Word Up!"

This WordGirl transformation was less glamorous then previous ones. Bob had to bite his tongue to stop himself from commenting. The suit looked worse than Becky had when she first came home.

"What are you staring at?"

WordGirl looked down at the costume.

"That's right," WordGirl smacked her head. "That storm tore my suit up. I'll have to switch into one of my spares. Come on Huggy."

WordGirl took Bob in her good hand and was out the window in a second.

At the WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face secret hide out, WordGirl had narrowed her suit selection to either the purple or the yellow costume. It was a difficult decision as WordGirl always wore red. It seemed weird to suddenly switch colors, but what could she do?

She made her decision; purple. It was a good color; kind of mysterious but with a hint of artistic vision. It would complement authoritative red with its subtle ambiguity.

Finally dressed and ready to go, WordGirl and Huggy were off to find Dr. Two-Brains and stop his evil plot . . . now if only they knew where to start. WordGirl had flown over some of the Doctors favorite crime spots, but no sign of him.

Suddenly a scream could be heard from the city streets. WordGirl held Huggy close as she descended.

When the two heroes arrived they were greeted by the usual screamer. WordGirl had never caught the name of this guy, but he had often confused her whereabouts with that of the police station. This helped since he always seemed to know where danger was at.

"Help!" The man screamed waving his arms about in the air. "Dr. Two-Brains has been seen messing with the city bridge!"

"Is he there now?" WordGirl didn't bother landing.

"I think he is," The man smiled with a hint of confusion written on his face. "Is the police station on this block?"

"No, it's about two blocks over."

"Oh. . . You'd think I'd know this by now." The man laughed and then returned to his panicked state. "Heeelp!"

WordGirl and Huggy arrived at the city bridge in time to see the first few stars of the night twinkling through the cloudy evening sky. There were a few cars crossing the bridge as well as one pedestrian, but no Two-Brains.

"That's strange," WordGirl flew the entire length of the bridge. "That guy is always right, so why isn't Two-Brains here?"

Huggy shrugged.

"I don't even understand what Dr. Two-Brains would want with the bridge; he can't get any cheese here."

Huggy scratched his chin to think. He then spoke up with his conclusion which only confused WordGirl more.

"You think he's rigging the bridge with explosives? I guess that would explain how he plans to destroy the city, but he's never done anything like that before. Where did he get the explosives? Our city doesn't sell them."

Huggy folded his arms.

"I didn't say it was a bad supposition, I'm just saying it doesn't hold weight. . . Supposition? It means a guess or assumption."

WordGirl gave the bridge one more look-over before heading back toward the city.

"I guess he's gone now." WordGirl couldn't suppress a yawn. She was beginning to feel tired again and it would probably be best not to pass out in mid-flight. "Maybe we'll have better luck searching in the morning. Let's go home."

With that the superhero duo went home leaving the sleepy city for the night.

(A/N) Thanks for reading. I'm happy to report that the new episodes with the Botsford's on vacation and Scoops reporting for the Big City Times don't really hurt the plot of my story. I always love reviews, please leave them, and have a Happy Mother's Day.


	7. Naïve

Disclaimer: I don't own WordGirl & co. this is simple a fan fiction I dreamed up for their universe.

* * *

For it being summer time, it had gotten pretty cold that night; probably due to the rain.

Scoops had wrapped himself in the thickest blanket he owned as he kept watch over the jewelry store. He was pretty well hidden from the store's view and he had managed to hide the camera in some bushes. He was more than certain this was the next shop on the list to be robbed.

There had been a recent string of jewel thefts, but as of yet no suspects. Scoops was determined to be the first reporter to catch the thieves in the act. Next to disclosing WordGirl's secret identity, this story would be a good way to impress his middle school paper.

He could just see it now,

"Perilous Jewel Thieves Caught by Ace Reporter Todd 'Scoops' Ming."

What a wonderful headline.

Scoops' imagination began running away with him. In his inobservance, however, Scoops failed to notice he was being observed.

Two men had stationed themselves atop the building across the street from the jewelry store. They had been watching Scoops for the better of the evening.

"Stupid kid." Such a cold yet calculated statement.

The first man seated himself on the edge of the roof top. The second man continued to stand, watching the boy intently.

"He's not stupid; just naïve."

"Then explain to me why genius down there is sitting outside waiting for criminals to appear; doesn't sound too bright to me."

The standing man rolled his eyes before responding.

"And that, Curtis, is why you will never amount to anything but an assistant."

"Hey," Curtis rose from his seated position to face his partner. "I am capable of doing this mission alone. I'm the one who stole the files. . ."

"And lost one."

"I already told you, Adler, some stupid girl ran into me and I must have dropped one."

At this Adler took hold of Curtis' collar and brought him close to his face. It was a fast motion that startled the man.

"You lost half of the fifth grade files, the only files that mattered. Because of you, and solely you, we are now forced to stoop this low. I don't like stooping this low Curtis, so I suggest you stop flapping your gums and start making yourself useful to me. Are we clear?"

Curtis gulped at his partners words.

"Crystal."

"Good." Adler turned his attention back to the boy releasing the man in his hold. "Read me his file."

Curtis pulled a folder from his coat labeled School 131 Fifth Grade II. He sat back down and began thumbing through the documents and pictures of students. He finally stopped on the picture of Scoops.

"His name is Todd Ming. He's been in the school since his first grade year, he's eleven, uh…"

"Do you think you could read any faster?"

"Be patient." Curtis shivered before continuing. "He was tardy four times this year. He works on the school paper, The Daily Rag."

Adler held a hand up to stop Curtis from reading.

"He works on 'that' newspaper?"

"Indeed," Curtis returned to the file. "Says here he's head of the paper and he has raised its sales by over thirty percent. The school's going to give him an award for it when he leaves."

"I don't care about awards Curtis," Adler turned and headed for the fire escape.

"Where are you going?" Curtis rose to follow his partner.

"I think we need to introduce ourselves to our little ace reporter."

Scoops had finally quit his dreaming and focused his full attention on the store. Any second now the criminals would be coming out and he would be the only reporter with the whole story.

Scoops couldn't help but smile, but that quickly faded.

A strange noise could be heard; a rustling in the bushes next to him. Scoops swallowed hard. Could that be the thieves? They weren't supposed to come through the bushes!

Calm down. Scoops took a deep breath. He was a professional; he was still in control here.

Suddenly the branches covering him from the view of the store parted. Scoops let out a short yelp of fear before covering his face with his hands.

Curtis and Adler stood before the boy exchanging grins. Curtis couldn't resist whispering to his partner about the sad state this boy was in.

Scoops sat waiting for the villians to act, but he slowly removed his hands upon hearing the laughter of the two men. Before him stood two professionally dressed reporters; hats and cameras included.

"What are you doing hidin' in that hedge son?" Adler extended his hand offering a warm smile.

Scoops was a bit uncertain, but took the man's hand and allowed him to help him up.

"I, I was . . ."

Curtis then began circling Scoops giving him a through once over. Curtis then stopped in front of the boy.

"Tell me, are you that boy that sells the Daily Rag?" Adler pushed his partner aside so that he could face the boy.

"Why, yes I am." Scoops felt a little more comfortable at the mention of his paper.

"That paper shows a lot of potential."

"Potential? My paper's better than potential!"

Adler shook his head with a smirk and spoke.

"Do you know what 'potential' means?"

"Uh, yeah, it means my paper is close to being good or something greater than what it is, but I'm telling you it's the best."

Adler crossed his arms. This kid was going to be easier to manipulate than he originally thought.

"I can see that it is almost the best,"

"Almost?! I'll have you know that the Daily Rag is one of the highest ranking papers in the city. I'll also have you know that more than seventy-five percent of the people in this city read it, thanks to your's truly."

"That's good to hear. Very good." Adler unfolded his arm and glanced over at Curtis.

"Yeah," Scoops stepped back from the men and back into the bushes. "Well if you don't mind, I need to get back to work if that paper's going to stay on top."

Adler leaned over the boy wearing yet another smile.

"If you're hoping to catch the jewel thieves' story, I'm sorry to tell you, it's already been done."

"What!?" Scoops jumped up.

"You see, we're from The Big City Times."

The mouth of the boy nearly dropped to the ground.

"Are you really?"

"Yes son, and I can tell you this story's already in the bag; we're just holding out till our audience is really desperate to find the truth. That's how news is really done."

"Oh." No wonder the Times had such high ratings; they understood how to build suspense. He couldn't even find the thieves first. All his research on this story had been for not. Now he'd never be able to impress his middle school paper, and he had already lost face with the Times.

Unless . . .

"It's okay boy, not everyone is built to be an ace reporter." Curtis laughed; receiving a glare from Adler.

"I am an ace reporter." Scoops was as good as they came. Just because he muffed one job didn't mean he couldn't be as good, or better, than the Times. "I have reported hundreds of stories in this city."

"Kid's stuff." Curtis spat. Adler joined his partner's jest.

"Anyone can regurgitate what they see on paper, son, what real reporting is involves investigation."

"Investigative reporting is like my life!" Scoops protested with a shout.

"Quiet kid." Adler glanced up and down the street. These two men didn't need someone seeing them having this conversation. "You don't want those thieves to know your watchin' em, eh?"

"I can do research."

"Not research son, but solving crimes and finding clues."

Scoops knew one thing that would silence those two; WordGirl's secret identity. There was no way they knew; no one knew. But he was going to find out. Scoops was the best reporter there was and he was going to prove it.

"I bet you guys aren't as good as you think you are."

"Is that a challenge boy?"

"If you guys are half as good as you're trying to sound, then tell me why you haven't found WordGirl's secret identity yet."

Adler faced Curtis and gave him a wink before addressing Scoops' remark.

"Alas, WordGirl is the big story that eludes us all. Whoever finds her would be the greatest reporter of all time. But there's no way anyone could do that."

"Not just anyone, but me."

"You?" Adler tried to act as surprised as possible. "What can you do? You couldn't even solve this story."

"I have several leads as to who she is; I'm going to expose her and then you'll have no choice but to admit I'm the best."

"If you did that there would be no doubt in anyone's mind as to who was the best."

Scoops couldn't help but try to stand taller. Adler continued.

"If you found out WordGirl's secret identity I know the Times would accept you as a paid employee."

"Really? I didn't think kids could work on the paper for pay."

"Oh we've had many kid reporters; they just go by different aliases until they're older."

Wow. How come he had never heard of that? Scoops was excited. This was the big brake he had been waiting for.

"Hey son," Scoops gave his full attention to Adler. "If you find out who she is, give me a call." Adler handed Scoops a business card from his pocket. "Make sure you print a paper first though."

"Why?"

"So no one steals your idea."

"Thanks!" Scoops took the card.

"Why don't you head home now, son. Get your rest so you can catch her."

Scoops gathered his equipment within seconds and was on his way.

"Nothing like inspiring the next generation, right Adler?" Curtis laughed as he watched Scoops. "Stupid kid."

"Well, you better hope that stupid kid is able to find her. WordGirl's secret identity is proving harder to find than I thought. She walking around in one of these schools and only an insider is going to find her. At least I can trust he won't drop the information."

"I already told you . . ."

"Yes I know, some weak little girl lightly tapped you and you dropped the folders." Adler sighed in frustration. "Regardless I need you to go back tomorrow and get that file."

"Why; I thought genius was going to find WordGirl for us."

"Because," Adler took another breath trying his hardest not to deck his partner. "Somewhere out there, some ten or eleven year old Lexiconian is playing human and she's in one of these schools. I must find her."

Adler began walking. Curtis followed at a distance.

"How do you know she's WordGirl?" Curtis reached for the folder in his jacket and began thumbing through it again.

"According to this city's data base, WordGirl has claimed to be from Lexicon; that and I don't see too many human beings flying around."

Curtis stopped following his partner to think about what had just been said.

" Lexiconians don't tend to fly either." Confusion lined Curtis' word as his partner truned toward him.

"Good boy, you actually noticed something on your own."

* * *

(A/N) Thanks for the reviews everyone.


	8. Watching Nightmares

Disclaimer: I don't own WordGirl. This story doesn't reflect the thoughts or ideas of the Soup2Nuts creators.

* * *

He watched the man cradle the baby for one second more; tears flooded the man's eyes and spilled onto the tiny bundle.

"With your life," the child was handed over to him. "Protect her."

He received the tiny infant in his arms. What comfort could he give? He gave his word; this child would live.

Through the small opening he went, two young boys close behind being encouraged by their mother to follow deep into the wall, too small for any adult figure.

It was dark; very little could be seen. One almost could not recognize their own hand in front of their face. Holding the baby as close to himself as possible, he stretched his free hand out to feel his way through the darkness.

The oldest of the boys spoke up. He was about six. He was a bright child, filled with many dreams. He would spend long afternoons telling stories to his brothers; stories of heroes and battles of wit.

"I'm scared. I want to go back to mommy."

Those heroes being only fiction from his mind, his true fearful self quivered in the darkness.

He turned to look at the boy but could only hear the child's soft whimper. Nothing could be done to console the child; fate had dealt the boy a very bad hand.

Balancing the baby in his arms, he turned forward and proceeded back down the darkened escape route.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Gun shots rang through the air; his ear drums felt like they had split in two. The younger of the boys, about age three, began to cry at the noise. Despite his attempts to hush the boy he continued to scream.

Bang. . .Bang.

The gun sounded again; this time their sound was too much for the oldest to bear.

"Mommy!"

The oldest could be heard running back to the comfort of his mother's arms; a mother the boy could not understand was dead.

Laying the baby down in the darkness, he quickly ran after the boy. Unfortunately he ran into the back of the three year old, knocking the little boy to the ground. He cried out; he wanted the oldest to return to him.

Bang.

That moment. . . the six year had exited the small opening, he was . . .

A voice came bellowing down the escape route.

"There are more of them behind this wall; After them!"

The enemy began knocking down the wall. The light flickered in; and in that moment he realized that he still had two lives to save.

He quickly got to his feet and grabbed up the baby girl. He then reached behind himself and snatched the arm of the three year old and began to run; run like never before.

Gun shots struck the walls beside him and the sound of marching echoed everywhere. He would never make it to the escape pod with these two children in tow.

But suddenly, the gun fire stopped. He didn't care to see what had stopped them. All he cared about was reaching that door at the end of this hall, and getting these two children as far away from this place as possible.

The closer and closer he got to the end, the heavier and heavier the boy became in his hand. He would not stop, even if he had to drag that child.

The door.

He released the child's hand to enter the password to unlock the door.

Plop. The child's hand went plop on the ground.

He looked down.

There was no time to morn.

"There! He has the little girl!"

When he looked up a solider stood before him; a gun aimed at her head.

The door opened behind him, but he couldn't move. He had failed his promise. The boys were dead.

There was no way he'd let it happen to her; he would defend her with his life as his contract said. He would . . .

"Becky! Time to get up!"

Sally Botsford's voice broke the morning silence and woke Bob from a rather disturbing dream, or memory to be more precise.

Becky slowly opened her eyes.

Tuesday. Not as bad as Monday, but defiantly not the best day of the week.

As Becky sat up she was relieved to find that her wrist didn't hurt as much as yesterday. Her head was feeling better as well. Now if only she could get her conscience to feel as good, she'd be set.

"Morning Bob." Becky yawned as she slid out of bed.

Bob didn't respond.

"Bob?"

Becky knelt by her dear friend's bed.

"Bob you look sick. Are you okay?"

Bob nodded with a chirp and then smiled at Becky. This was nothing she needed to worry about.

"How's your leg feeling?"

Becky removed the sheet from his bed and looked at the afflicted ankle.

"The swelling has gone down that's for sure. . . Maybe you should rest for one more day."

Bob crossed his arms. She thought he was well enough to fly around last night; Becky was overreacting by having him take a week off. Then again, it was nice to take a break.

"Why don't you start work on mending my usual costume; I want to get back in red as soon as possible."

With that Becky headed out the door to beat her brother to the bathroom. Bob only sighed as he slowly pulled himself out of bed. He then retrieved the WordGirl costume from the place Becky had hid it last night; the bottom dresser drawer.

"You Better Not Use Up All The Hot Water Again Becky!"

T.J.'s screaming startled Bob and he quickly shoved the outfit back into hiding. Perhaps it would be best to wait until a majority of the family left before he started to work on that.

Bob went back to his bed and sat. Unfortunately, not having anything to do would force him to think about that dream.

Becky finished up her shower and got dressed. The cut on her face didn't seem as pronounced today, but she decided to apply a new bandage anyway.

She wanted to leave a bit early so she could once again look for Two-Brains. Odds were she wouldn't find him before school started, but one never could be sure.

Becky ran past her brother and down the stairs. She grabbed a few pieces of toast and was halfway out the door when her father's voice caught her ear.

"Why are you in such a hurry, hon?"

"Oh, I. . ." Becky turned around and stood in the door frame. She didn't really expect her father to be at the table. On Tuesday her mother left almost immediately after waking her and T.J. up, so the family didn't have breakfast together.

"Trying to get a jump start on your science project?" Mr. Botsford smiled.

"Science project?" Becky raised an eye brow. What was he talking about?

"Yeah, the one you cut your face on." Mr. Botsford looked concerned. It was then Becky remembered.

"Oh, right, my science project. Yeah, I wanted to get to school early to, um, research some, things, about science."

"They sure do give you kids a lot of science projects."

"Well you know how it is dad; no child left behind. Well, see-ya."

Becky dashed from the door and soon took to the skies.

She spent half an hour following clues, but Dr. Two-Brains couldn't be found. He hadn't even returned to his usual lair, or had he? WordGirl's final stop was the doctor's lair and she did find some evidence that he had at least visited the place since his break out.

"His cheese vaults have been emptied and it looked like several of his inventions are missing too."

WordGirl examined the few remaining items; none of which yielded any clues to where the doctor had gone. He had even taken the time to erase his chalkboard. And judging by the length of the smeared chalk dust, his plan was going to be very elaborate.

"Where could he have gone?"

He didn't have any other hiding places that she knew of.

"Maybe he's changing locations." That could explain why he was seen at the bridge and then wasn't there when she arrived. "He's moving around to hide his evil plot."

This would be so much easier if a little birdie could tell her where the doctor was hiding. But alas, that was not an option at this point. Stupid Sixty-Minutes audition. She would have to rely on her own tracking skills. But she needed to find him fast. She only had till Sunday, if even that.

WordGirl glanced down at her watch.

7:57

It was bad enough she'd be arriving without her homework, she couldn't afford another late day.

Homework!

It was then she remembered her "family" project instructions were also in her book bag. Oh well, she could always just ask the teacher for another instruction sheet after school; that project wasn't due until Friday. Right now she needed to hurry to school.

Without a second to spare, Becky opened the door to her class. She received an agitated glare from her teacher, but, being she was in the doorway at the sound of the bell, she wasn't late.

"Take your seat Miss. Botsford we have a lot to cover today and no time to waste." The teacher pointed to Becky's empty chair and then went about setting up the day's math lesson.

Math; could there be any subject in school more boring? Becky didn't hate math. In fact she was quite good at it, well most of the time. It was just that some math problems were hard and some were easy, and no matter how hard one might try to get better at math, the fact still stood that you either understood it or you didn't. Today, Becky didn't. Fractions always seemed to elude her.

Yawn.

Becky rested her head in her hand. She tried to focus on the board, really she did, but at that moment something passed by the window. Several students noticed. A small finch had landed on the window sill, and while many of the kids in Becky's class let out a collective "aww," Becky's attention was taken elsewhere.

Beyond the bird, on the school's side lawn, was the man Becky had run into yesterday. This was her second time seeing him, so he must work for the school. It was just odd that she couldn't remember seeing him in any of the other classes.

He looked confused as if in search of something.

Why wasn't he coming into the school through the main door? Why would he sneak around the side of the school?

Becky didn't have any more time to ponder her questions as the student in front of her once again turned around and handed her a paper. It was a fraction drill sheet. Oh goody.

The class went well until recess. At this time a few storm clouds were moving in. Many students refused to go outside remembering yesterday's bad rain storm. Little did they know, to what extent that storm had reached.

Becky and Violet, however, decided to brave the outdoors along with a few other kids.

"It's nice to get away from the class isn't it Becky?"

"Yep."

Violet was really excited about helping her friend. All night long she had thought about ways she could figure out if Becky was WordGirl. Then she could let Becky know that she didn't have to carry the burden alone, or an alien parasite either.

"So, I bet you were really busy last night." Violet sat on one of the swings as her friend joined her.

"Uh, not really."

Becky pushed off and was swinging. Violet remained still to ask her questions.

"So, did you watch T.V. last night?"

"No," Becky passed by. "Not really." Pass again. "Why. . . What was on?"

"Oh nothing, it's just, the news said Two-Brains escaped again."

"Well that's…no good."

She wasn't going to find anything out this way.

Scoops had told her to write down any suspicious behavior. Maybe she should try to get Becky to do something she would normally only do if she were WordGirl.

"Hey Becky!" Violet waved her hands for her friend to stop. "Let's pretend we're superheroes."

Becky stopped the swing, tilting her head in confusion.

"Why? We've never done that before."

"I wanna try something new."

Becky shrugged; why not. It might be fun, or really annoying, one of the two. Violet clapped her hands in excitement. This game would defiantly tell if Becky were WordGirl. Violet would know in an instant being she had met WordGirl on several occasions.

"I'll be the 'Framer' since I know all about her because I am her and you can be . . ."

"GeographyGirl!" Becky smiled.

"What?" Violet was confused. That wasn't the response she would have expected from WordGirl. Why didn't she pick her own super self to imitate? Becky saw the confusion on Violet's face.

"Well, if I'm going to 'play' superhero, I want to choose a super identity I don't get to use . . . see every day."

"Yeah but, why not WordGirl?"

"Like I said, we see WordGirl all the time, plus I really like geography."

"But I thought you really liked words."

"Oh I love words, but I also like geography."

Oh well, that plan went bust. Playing superheroes still sounded fun though. Violet could worry about WordGirl's secret identity later. Violet started the game.

"Let's stop the evil Dr. Two-Brains from um . . .from,"

"From destroying the whole city over a plethora of cheese!" Becky followed suit.

Funny that Becky knew exactly what Two-Brains had said last night even thought she had said she hadn't watched T.V. She was a good guesser.

Scoops also took a risk in going outside, but he was on a mission. An investigative reporter was always looking for clues; stopping for nothing; trusting no one. He was going to keep a close eye on Becky whenever he could.

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(A/N) Thanks for the reviews. The next update might be a while because I want to see the next new episodes before I write another chapter. Thanks for your patience.


	9. Quick, Saunter

Disclaimer- I don't own WordGirl & co. All the stuff in this fiction are from me and not the show's creators.

* * *

Tuesday afternoon was just as nasty as Monday's. It had begun to rain just as school was letting out. Students covered their heads with textbooks as they ran through the rain while some teachers held back hoping the storm would let up.

Becky on the other hand had made a mad dash for the back doors of the school without a word to her teacher. She had heard several cries for help from the corner grocery store. And by the nature of the crime it sounded like she might finally have a chance to catch Chuck the Evil Sandwich Making Guy.

Her hunch was right. Chuck was holding the store manager hostage for all of the sandwich worthy items in the store.

"Hold it right there Chuck!"

WordGirl flew through the door and took a fighting pose. Chuck raised his mustard ray as she did so.

"WordGirl you …" Chuck lowered his weapon. "You changed your suit?"

"Yeah, so?" WordGirl lost her daring stance. "Is there something wrong with it?"

"No, no, it's just . . .um"

"It's the color isn't it?"

"Well, kind of. I just don't think it's you."

"Well, fashion sense won't help where you're going, Chuck." WordGirl braced herself for a fight.

"Oh yeah. We'll just see about that."

Mustard, ketchup, relish and oils went flying. WordGirl dodged out of the way just narrowly escaping a bath in sticky condiments.

Without Huggy, WordGirl would have to be extra careful not to get hit; she'd never be able to free herself fast enough. She dodged yet another round of sprays as the ticket dispenser from the deli line caught her eye.

At that moment, the door to the store opened and a rather oblivious costumer made his way into the store and into the mist of the fight.

Mr. Botsford had come to the store in hopes of buying a half gallon of milk. He didn't want to buy a whole gallon since he and his family would be gone in a week.

"Excuse me," Mr. Botsford walked right through the fight in search of the manager. "Do you sell half gallons of milk?"

"Of course we do, they're in . . ." Before the manager could finish his statement he was yelled at by his captor.

"You're not supposed to be selling anything; you're supposed to be scared" Chuck barked.

"And so should you Chuck!"

Before Chuck could even think about aiming his ray, WordGirl had tied him up in his moment of distraction with tickets.

"Aw, not again, this isn't fair. I was um, what's the word? You know when something distracts you." Chuck turned to WordGirl.

"You were sidetracked." WordGirl smiled.

"I was what?"

"Sidetracked; it means you had your attention diverted. You were unfocused like when my da . . . Mr. Botsford distracted you during our fight you got . . ."

"Sidetracked. I get it now."

"Great," WordGirl grinned as she waved for the police standing in the store lobby to come in and finish the job. "Hopefully nothing will sidetrack these officers from doing their job."

Chuck only frowned at her intended pun.

WordGirl then flew to the store manager and untied the ropes Chuck had wrapped him in.

"Thanks WordGirl."

"Don't mention it."

Mr. Botsford came to the manager of the store with his milk jug.

"I'm ready to buy."

"Great," The manger made his way toward the check-out counter. "Bring it here."

As Mr. Botsford stepped into line WordGirl tapped his shoulder.

"Mister?"

"Oh hi WordGirl, I love the new outfit."

"Thanks. You know, you shouldn't saunter through danger like that."

Mr. Botsford placed his milk jug on the counter and then scratched his chin.

"Saunter means to 'walk' right?"

Another costumer joined the line as the milk was bagged and paid for. This new costumer couldn't help but over hear the conversation as she pushed her cart against the counter.

WordGirl explained.

"Saunter does mean to walk at an unhurried pace. Or stroll . . ."

"Or you could say mosey, amble, meander, wander, or even promenade if the situation calls for it."

Both WordGirl and Mr. Botsford turned to look at the woman that had joined them in line. She smiled at the two's confused expressions before continuing.

"One could also say toddle, though I wouldn't use it. It sounds like a word one would only use on babies."

The woman began taking items out of her cart and placing them on the counter's conveyor belt.

"I feel smarter now. " Mr. Botsford laughed. He collected his milk and waved good-bye to everyone still in the store.

The manager began ringing up the woman's items.

"Wow," WordGirl said giving her attention to the lady. "That's a pretty impressive vocabulary."

WordGirl then decided to help the woman out by using her super speed to get the items on the counter faster.

"And you've got quite a remarkable knack for acceleration."

"Thanks." WordGirl finished placing the last item on the belt.

"Is it safe for me to presume that you are WordGirl, the protector of this city and former resident of Lexicon?"

That was an awkward question. The first time she met any new citizen it was normal for them to ask questions, but never had they asked one like this. Former resident?

"Maybe."

The woman extended her hand to which WordGirl unwillingly shook.

"I am very happy to have met you and under such favorable circumstances." the woman smiled brightly. "You see, I am your biggest fan and you would more than honor me if I could ask you a few questions."

What WordGirl really wanted to do was go look for Dr. Two-Brains, still, it wouldn't hurt to speak with a fan, for only a minute.

"Sure, why not." WordGirl sighed.

"What's your favorite color?"

This was the question from her biggest fan?

"It's red of course." It was then WordGirl remembered she was wearing her purple suit; the woman must have thought she changed.

"Other than defining words, what would you say your strong suits are?"

"Uh, reading, fighting, and . . . homework?" WordGirl shrugged and then glanced down at her watch. This was annoying. The lady spoke.

"Your favorite animal?"

"Unicorns."

"Oh I love unicorns, they're so beautiful, a little temperamental, but dazzling creatures nonetheless."

The woman went on to ask what felt like hundreds of questions. Finally WordGirl had to stop the lady.

"Look, I really have to be going."

"Oh of course, just one more infringement into your personal life? Please?"

"Fine." WordGirl could not mask her vexation, but the woman before her did not seem to mind.

"Do you remember the planet Lexicon?"

Silence.

"Do you remember the first day you came to Mother Earth then?" The lady frowned at the reaction she received. "I'll take that as a no."

They lady extended her hand which WordGirl took again to shake good-bye.

A long time must have passed between them, for when the two finally broke their gaze from each other the manager had finished bagging the groceries.

"Well, I must be going. God bless you WordGirl and may you have a radiant afternoon."

WordGirl just remained suspended where she was. There was something about that lady that felt . . . familiar and yet, very, very distant.

As the lady turned to leave WordGirl spoke up again.

"Hold on a second, what was your name?"

"Didn't I tell you, oh silly me I must have forgot." The woman came back to WordGirl and shook her hand again. "My name is Nona."

The woman waved as she left; the image of her face still lingering in WordGirl's mind.

WordGirl wasn't left to ponder this strange moment for long.

"Heeeelp!"

The truly familiar voice of WordGirl's neighbor could be heard. "Two-Brains is in the park! Where's the police station?"

"Word Up."

The park was completely empty due to the rain. It was amazing to think that anyone would have seen the doctor here. But at least now WordGirl was sure Dr. Two-Brains was making appearances around the city. And maybe Huggy was right.

Two-Brains was probably rigging the city so he could threaten it for cheese. Well not if she could help it.

The playground, the ball field, the picnic tables, every inch of the park was searched, but there was neither sign of bomb nor creator.

"Where could he be hiding?"

Wet and tired, WordGirl decided it would be best to give up the search today. Two-Brains was nowhere to be found.

Upon arriving at home, Becky was greeted by her father.

"There she is," Mr. Botsford smiled at his daughter. "You're all wet Becky."

Becky rolled her eyes with a grin. She found that her dad's ability to state the obvious and yet miss the fact that she was WordGirl, always made for a humorous moment.

"Yeah, I got caught in the down pour."

Becky kicked her shoes off at the door and began removing her damp sweater. There was no need to drip through the house.

As Becky was stopped at the door, she could hear the maniacal laughter of Dr. Two-Brains from the television. Becky then began trying to yank the sweater off her head so she could see the screen.

"Hello WordGirl, oh, and anyone else watching,"

The rest of the Botsford family gathered in the living room to see what had happened to their regularly scheduled programming.

"I demand that this city deliver to me all of the town's cheese by sunset tomorrow, or I'll destroy the city's bridge and central park."

The Botsfords gasped as Becky simply continued fighting with the wet garment on her head. At least she could still hear the doctor.

"I bet you're wondering how the city is going to collect all its cheese in one day, eh WordGirl?"

Pop!

Finally the sweater relinquished its hold on her as did the bandage on her face; too wet to hold on any longer. Becky promptly gave the background of the television a good stare. It looked like he was at the city's Yacht and Country Club. She just might be able to nab that baddie tonight.

No time to lose.

"Word-"

"Shhh." TJ hushed his sister, never once taking his eyes off the screen. "I want to hear what Two-Brains has to say to WordGirl."

That was close. Becky had almost forgotten her family was still standing in the room. She needed to be more careful.

Becky decided to just silently tell her mom that she needed to leave. Her excuse could be. . . that she dropped something on the way home. That was a good one.

"Hey mom."

"Yes, Becky."

"I think I dropped something on the way home from school; I'm going to go look for. . ." Before Becky could finish her mother cut her off.

"Whatever it is I'm sure it can wait." Mrs. Botsford turned to her pouting daughter's face. "Tonight we're going to have family night, and you have a science project to finish."

Stupid nonexistent science project and family fun activities. Becky had to leave now otherwise Two-Brains was going to change locations.

"But mom, I don't want it to get washed away in the rain."

"I'm certain it couldn't have been that important if you dropped it in the first place, Becky."

"But mom, I, I need it."

Becky could just see Two-Brains escaping the country club, and all her mother could do was fold her arms and shake her head.

"Well, what is it that's so important?" Sally didn't sound all that interested in knowing what it was. She was going to say 'no' regardless of how important Becky tried to make it sound.

Becky didn't want to be mad at her mom; it wasn't her mother's fault, but Becky couldn't stop the aggravation that slipped out in her words.

"That's not fair, I need it and you're letting it get away."

"Don't take that tone with me young lady." Sally was completely surprised by Becky's intonation, but she was even more taken aback by her own. She had never spoken to Becky like that. But after doing it once, it was easier to do it again. "Now I said no, and that's final. You head upstairs right now and finish your homework. Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes."

Becky stomped upstairs to her room and closed the door with a slight slam. Of all the times her mother could have held her back, why did it have to be when violent criminals were within reach?

Becky folded her arms and sat on the edge of her bed. If it were possible, steam would have been coming out of her ears.

Bob was excited to see that his friend had come home. He had been working feverously on fixing the WordGirl outfit and was hoping to gain Becky's approval on it. That was until he saw the rather large frown fixated on her face.

Bob asked what was wrong as he climbed the sheets onto the bed.

"I think I know where Dr. Two-Brains is hiding," Becky unfolded her arms, gesticulating along with every word. "Mom's got it in her head to keep me here though. All I need is like, two minutes to catch him, but no, mom has to be all like, 'You're staying home and that's final.' I mean, she's never done that before. I just need to . . ."

At that thought Becky quit rambling; she had fifteen minutes until dinner.

"Bob, I need you to cover for me," Becky got to her feet and went to her window. "I'm going to get Dr. Two-Brains and be back before mom knows I've been gone."

Bob stared at Becky for a moment before voicing his concern.

"Don't worry so much Bob . . . If mom comes to the door use this."

Becky had in her room a small speaker with per-recorded messages on it. It had worked well fooling TJ into thinking it was her when Granny May had babysat. She handed it over to Bob before changing into WordGirl.

"I'll be back in no time. Thanks Bob." Out she went.

Sigh.

Why did it always seem that he got stuck with the hard jobs? Doubtlessly Becky would not return in time for dinner and she would be mad at him later for not being able to cover for her.

Bob just shrugged. There wasn't anything he could really do about it.

He got comfortable in the bed and decided to wait for the inevitable. It was the first real break he had gotten all day.

Aside from working on the red WordGirl costume, Bob had been plagued by dreams of his past; unpleasant events he would much rather forget. Strange they would come back to him at such a time as this.

No, he wasn't going to remember those thoughts. He didn't want to remember those thoughts.

Bob shook his head. He didn't want to be bothered by such disturbing images, yet they were coming back.

He was unable to fight them. With no distraction to keep his mind sidetracked there was no way to stop the memories from coming.

He had remembered fleeing Lexicon all those years ago. He never gave much thought to those times as they only upset him. Why now? Why were these memories haunting him now?

Bob had never focused his attention to sorting out the events of that day. He had merely accepted them and moved on to fulfill what he could of his promise; a promise that now lay six feet below the royal church yard of Lexicon. A promise he never did carry out being the ship was stranded on the planet Earth.

What had happened that day when they had escaped?

He remembered the gun shots, the prince losing his life while running back to his mother . . .

Everyone had lost their life. Everyone one but Becky that is. Why had that soldier spared her?

Bob remembered the look on the young man's face as he held the gun to the small infant's head. The man looked so focused, so determined to carry out his mission, and yet he didn't.

He only smiled, wickedly, pointing for Bob to escape with Becky in his arms.

That smile; that face he could never forget.

To that man Becky's life was as frivolous as a speck of dust, but he spared her. There was something about that smile that made Bob sick. Even now he couldn't help but feel queasy. For the first few months he couldn't shake the thought that one day that man would come and finish the job. But luckily that fear was never realized.

Another wave of sadness came over the monkey as his mind drifted back to the other occupants of that room. Those gun shots were aimed at some of the most important people on Lexicon.

Eight very important people and one dear one. The leaders of Lexicon and the person they trusted to save their children; the person he had to leave behind to the mercy of their bullets.

Lexicon's king hugged his eldest son of nine as his wife ushered their two youngest to go with Huggy through a small opening in the royal nursery. The two boys were so scared to leave their mother, but her words prompted them to trust; if only for a moment. And in his arms, Huggy received the daughter of Noah and Rebecca, the King's dearest friends. The last person Huggy regretted leaving behind was a dear friend to him. As he left, the shots rang out. . .

. . .Wait,

Bob had never given the gun shots much thought, as they were the most painful thing to remember. But he left six people behind in that room that day, but there were only five gun shots. One of them didn't die!

Just then a knock could be heard at the door.

"Becky, dinner's ready."

Mrs. Botsford called from just outside the room. Bob was a bit startled by the sound. He fidgeted with the machine he had been given. Blasted thing wouldn't turn on.

Bob was beginning to sweat as Sally spoke up again.

"Becky, I said it's time to eat. . . Becky?"

The door knob began to shake.

If Becky was unsure of her mother's anger before, there would be no doubt once Sally saw that empty room.

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(A/N) Thanks for reading and being patient. Please leaves reviews as you see fit.


	10. Snip

Disclaimer- I don't own this show

* * *

Today had not gone as Scoops had planned it. He wanted to track Becky all afternoon, but she had somehow managed to slip out of school without his knowing. By the time he heard word of the city's superhero, it was too late to draw any connection between her and Becky.

But he didn't give up. If tracking Becky wouldn't work, then tracking WordGirl would.

But due to the rain, Scoops was slowed down and thus too late to catch the action of the fight between WordGirl and Chuck. All he saw was WordGirl leaving the store and heading toward the park.

Getting sick of being wet, Scoops decided to drop the case for the day and head home.

Sloshing through the front door, Scoops dropped his wet belongings in the foyer before heading into the living room. He made himself as comfortable as possible on the sofa before turning on the television and flipping through the channels. There was nothing on that really tweaked his interest; his mind was more focused on WordGirl. If he was unable to follow her, how could he ever prove she was Becky?

After a few moments Scroops' father entered the room to close the curtains. He never really enjoyed rainy days, and having to see the wet outdoors only agitated him.

Mr. Ming faced his son to watch him stare at the T.V. for a while.

"Well here's something you don't see everyday," The adult spoke gaining his son's attention. "The ace reporter is taking time off to watch . . ." Mr. Ming shot a quick glance at the screen before continuing. "The Squishy-Wishy Fishy Hour?"

Scoops blinked at the screen for a moment realizing how stupid he must have looked watching a preschooler's show. He quickly changed the channel.

"I wasn't really watching it," Scoops tried to laugh off the embarrassment.

"That's good to hear," Mr. Ming joined his son on the couch.

He somewhat watched the show with little amusement, but gave more of his attention to the boy beside him. It was obvious that Scoops wasn't taking time off from that paper of his, he was still very much thinking about it.

"So, why are you home so early?" Mr. Ming reached for the remote in his son's hand and turned down the volume of the T.V.

"It's raining."

"Doesn't sound like something that would stop a promising news hound like you."

Scoops sighed before finally facing his father.

"I need to find WordGirl's secret identity before anyone else does, I'm just having trouble keeping up with her."

"Well, WordGirl is a special girl."

"So what does it take to catch this girl?"

"That's the question on every young man's mind, Todd." Mr. Ming's laughter was stifled by his son's raised eye brow. "Never mind."

The two sat in silence for several seconds before the adult spoke again.

"You know, this would be a good time for you to interview me."

At first Scoops wasn't sure what his dad was talking about, but then it hit him.

"Oh yeah, the homework assignment for school. Wait here." Scoops got off the couch and headed back into the foyer. He opened his book bag and reached for the assignment. His father on the other hand, looked at the television to see the program interrupted by Dr. Two-Brains' message.

Doubtlessly Scoops would want to go follow this story, and Mr. Ming frowned. Maybe he should talk to his son about this little obsession of his.

"Here it is dad. All the classes are doing it and I'm hoping to have the best in the entire fifth gra..." Scoops stopped as he saw the screen. There was the story he needed to catch WordGirl with. "Hey dad turn it up."

Scoops dropped his work on the floor and hastily jumped onto the couch. The father only responded to his son with a glare; a look Scoops seemed to miss.

As the doctor shared his evil plan on the air waves, Mr. Ming couldn't help but become more angered by his son's excitement in it.

"Dad, I think I know where he is." Scoops rose to his feet. "WordGirl will be there for sure."

The boy went to his bag and pulled out the slightly damp camera and the replacement note pad. If he could get there first, he'd be sure to find WordGirl and be able to track her travels after the fight. Maybe he could even get close enough to mark her somehow. If he lost WordGirl after the fight, Becky would still have the mark at school the next day.

Perfect!

As Scoops stood to exit the front door, he felt his father's hand rest on his shoulder.

"It's still raining son."

Hard stare.

"I know dad . . , but if I can just. . ."

"I think it would be best if you came in for the night."

Scoops knew these were just the concerned words of a worried parent, but that didn't provide much comfort when his story was happening without him.

"Dad, this is my only chance to get this one-of-a-kind story."

Mr. Ming, against his better judgment, released his hold on his son to receive a smile in return.

"I'll be careful and I promise not to get to close to the action."

Oh how many times had he heard that.

Mr. Ming gave Scoops a weak smile and watched his kid head out the door. How could he stand in the way of "getting the real scoop." He wanted to support his son, but at the same time . . . he wasn't certain he should. Nothing bad ever happened in this city. Nothing life threatening anyway. Perhaps he was being overprotective.

Mr. Ming couldn't fight the fact that his son was well on his way to being the best at what he did. And yet, there was a nagging feeling that he needed to find a new hobby for his son.

"Maybe I should get him a dog."

_o_

WordGirl had wasted no time in getting to the country club. She was going to catch Dr. Two-Brains for sure.

The country club was inconveniently placed alongside a lake with a deck reaching over the waters. The doors out to the deck would have made a great point of entrée, since they were in the back of the building, but the storm was flooding the deck turning it into a raging river of pain.

WordGirl sighed as she landed in the abandoned parking lot of the club. The only vehicle present was the doctor's beat-up old van. WordGirl approached the van with caution to assure its vacancy.

There was no one inside and the hood of the vehicle was cold, indicating that the van had been empty for quite some time. Therefore the doctor must have been planning to stay at the club after his newscast.

WordGirl half wished she had listened to the whole speech. The doctor might have revealed more of his evil intent and ergo she wouldn't be making wild guesses as to his next move.

Oh well, one could not mull over the past if they wished to enhance their future, right?

The rain had lightened up now, but was still present enough to cause the heroine slight discomfort.

WordGirl brushed back a patch of matted hair from her eyes and slowly made her way to the country club's entrance. There was an overhang to the lobby wide enough for cars to pull up and drop off passengers. WordGirl welcomed the shield from the rain and took the cover as a chance to assess the buildings outside again. The best way in, still remained the front door.

WordGirl remained close to the wall hoping to be unseen as she extended her hand and lightly pushed the door. At first it remained stiffly in position, but a stronger push knocked the oversized metal door from its smaller frame. It was surprisingly unlocked.

Why would Two-Brains neglect to lock the door? WordGirl couldn't help but feel this might be a possible trap. No criminal was dumb enough to leave the door to his new hideout unlocked.

Maybe a sneak attack would be better than a dramatic bust in with witty phrase. This way WordGirl might be able to gain the upper hand on Two-Brains. She forced the door closed behind her to lower suspicion.

WordGirl entered the dark lobby combing the area with her eyes. The club was very clean inside and had all the fineries of a rich society's gathering hall. It was no wonder the upper crust of the city meet here all throughout the summer.

There was a hall door that led into a large reception area; a perfect place to set up a super-villain hide out.

WordGirl went to the opening and again placed her back against the wall. She slowly peered around the corner to see what lay beyond the lobby.

But when she looked, there was nothing but an empty room. Sure there were a few tables, chairs, and discarded party favors, but there were no ray guns, menacing chalk boards or even a crumb of cheese on the floor. How was Two-Brains escaping her?!

It was then WordGirl heard a loud clang.

Just beyond the hall were the doors into the kitchen. In theory, the kitchen would be large enough for a staff of seven cooks and three large cooking grills . . . and maybe the doctor's new lair.

The noise sounded like it might have come from the kitchen.

"Then that's the place to start."

WordGirl approached the door with the upmost care; doing her best not to make a sound. After tonight, she would be able to rest easy. Two-Brains would be behind bars and maybe she would be able to deal with the more pressing matters of her family leaving for the summer.

As WordGirl was about to touch it, the swinging door opened.

Her cover would be blown.

Dr. Two-Brains exited the kitchen with his two henchmen in tow. He had indiscreetly depleted the clubs cheese reserves and was now coming into the main hall to execute his plan.

"Hurry up boys, WordGirl should be here any minute."

Unknown to the doctor, WordGirl had already arrived and was now taking refuge under a nearby table cover by an elaborately decorated cloth.

WordGirl kneeled down in the darkened space provided her and focused her attention on the villain. But, to WordGirl's surprise, she wasn't the only one using the table's hiding potential.

The superhero heard a quiet 'ah-hem' come from behind her.

"Scoops?" WordGirl whispered slightly taken aback by his presence.

The reporter shrugged with a smile; not really having a reason to be there except to get her secret identity. WordGirl didn't get a chance to question him as the villains began speaking.

"Boss," The henchmen followed Two-Brains over to the window. "What are we suppose to do when WordGirl arrives?"

Two-Brains pealed back a corner of the curtain to watch the skies.

"I want you to do nothing but stand there and look tough." Two-Brains had a look of confidence on his face.

There was no way his plan could fail. This time WordGirl would be the source of his cheese, and with her super speed, he wouldn't even have to wait as long to receive it. This was his best plan ever.

WordGirl faced Scoops and placed a finger to her lips as a reminder to keep quiet. She then lifted a piece of the table cloth to look out at the doctor. She needed to know more about his plan so she could stop him. More importantly, she needed to know why he had been traveling throughout the city.

Scoops watched WordGirl for a moment. He had already heard most of the doctor's plan. Pretty good actually, but that was beside the point of his being there. He was hoping to track WordGirl, and there she was, within ten inches of him. If he couldn't draw a connection now, he'd never be able to.

He couldn't really see her in the dark though. There was only enough light to make out shapes and sizes, not really color of eyes, nervous twitches or defining facial expressions.

It was then he remembered he had brought his editing tools. Scoops reached into his pocket and pulled out some safety scissors. As an ace reporter, one could never be over prepared. One little snip now could be tomorrow's news clip.

WordGirl could hear the scissors close and she could have sworn she felt something pull her hair. Oh no he didn't.

WordGirl let go of the table cloth and felt the afflicted area. Scoops had cut three inches off of her hair.

"Scoops why did you do that?!" WordGirl wheeled around and snatched the arm holding the scissors. "That was completely uncalled for!"

Scoops shrugged and smiled again. Tomorrow, if Becky came to school with a new hair cut then he'd know for sure she was WordGirl.

WordGirl knew what was going on. There was only one reason for Scoops to do something like that. But before either of them could think about their next move, the table cloth was ripped off as Two-Brains and his henchmen surrounded the couple.

"What have we here? WordGirl, and in a tacky new uniform too."

WordGirl let out an aggravated sigh. This was not working out how she had envisioned it. Oh well.

WordGirl leap out from under the table and hovered just left of the doctor's current position.

"Give it up Two-Brains," She pointed an accusing finger at the mad scientist. "I'm locking you away in the cage…"

Somewhere a pipe was broken.

"That's your best insult?" Dr. Two-Brains faced the girl.

"Well, I wanted to say something witty relating to you being a mouse locked in a cage; the cage being prison."

"And that's what you came up with?" Scoops added still crouched under the table.

"You know, whatever," WordGirl placed a hand on her forehead; that was a bad pun. She really needed to practice some good punch lines.

"Well while we're still on speaking terms," Dr. Two-Brains said pulling out a small cheese-shaped remote. "I'd like you to know that right now I have the power to destroy the city bridge if you don't do as I demand. Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Dr. Two-Brains wildly flung his arms to the side as he let out his laughter. WordGirl simply eyed the remote and wondered if there was a way to force it from him. It was also at this moment Scoops decided to take a few pictures for the paper. Even though this wasn't initially what he came for, having the story of Two-Brains would still be good for tomorrow's paper.

Two-Brains attempted to make a dramatic pose out of suspending his forefinger over the detonation button, but the flashes of the camera became a bit too distracting.

"Do you mind?" Two-Brains barked at the reporter. "I'm trying to accomplish an evil dream here. Henchmen! Lock this boy in the kitchen."

The doctor's assistants hurried to grab Scoops from under the table and began dragging the fighting boy to the doors.

It was in this moment of distraction that WordGirl made her move. All she needed to do was grab the remote. But Two-Brains was one step ahead of his advisory. He turned his attention back to WordGirl and dodged her grasp.

"One more trick like that and you'll be racing to the bay to rescue sinking cars."

WordGirl stopped her assault and landed. How had he wired the bridge and she not see it? She and Captain Huggyface had searched every inch of that bridge; there were no explosives. But did she really want to risk calling the doctor's bluff?

Scoops, on the other hand, was tossed unceremoniously into the cooking area. The hard flood gave the reporter a nice size bruise. Scoops rubbed the afflicted area as he sat up and looked at the door. Despite the clouded windows, Scoops could still see the tallest of the henchmen leaning against the doors. He was stuck.

"She's gonna find out he's just lying!" It wasn't that great of a comeback, but at least he had said something.

He was never going to get the story now. Perhaps he should have told WordGirl that Two-Brains was bluffing. He hadn't rigged the bridge to explode; he didn't even know where to get explosives. Two-Brains was just tricking her into getting the city's cheese for him. Oh well, if WordGirl robbed the city it would still make for a good story. No matter who won, it would make a good headline.

Scoops got to his feet to investigate the room he was in, but no sooner had he rose he had fallen back down.

He felt incredibly lightheaded which, considering he fell on his backside and not his head, didn't make much sense. Slowly a headache was beginning to form. It was now Scoops realized the pain was being triggered by a smell in the air. So the reporter, very slowly, got on his hands and knees and followed his nose.

Scoops was led over to the gas stove in the back corner of the kitchen. Could it be leaking gas?! No, the stove was off.

Scoops crawled around the stove and looked behind the machine to witness the severed pipe.

WordGirl on the other hand, was locked in a bitter negotiation.

"So you want all the cheese in the city in exchange for that remote?"

"That's correct WordGirl, and I want You to deliver it to me."

Two-Brains was proud of his accomplishment. The distress painted on WordGirl's face was reward enough, but of course it wasn't all he was going to get. Even if she could detect some fowl play in his scheme, WordGirl wasn't brave enough to risk motorists' lives. Why didn't he think of this years ago?

"So what's it going to be WordGirl?" He said with a grin. "The cheese, or the city."

WordGirl closed her eyes to think. She was certain she had checked the bridge from the suspension cables to the painted lines on the road; she never saw a bomb. But then again, she was tired at the time. Perhaps she missed something. Yet the real question was whether she was going to gamble with peoples lives. . . or was the question whether Two-Brains was demented enough to do something like this?

"You're bluffing Two-Brains." WordGirl glared at the man with a grin equal to his own. "You maybe crazy, but your not that heartless."

She had to hold the appearance that she was completely convinced that he was lying, otherwise this plan wouldn't work. Even as he held the remote up, WordGirl had to keep her ground; she took a daring pose.

"We'll let's just see about that." Two-Brains likewise had to keep face. He knew he couldn't actually press the button, for then the truth would be reviled, but he had to make it seem like he was in control of the city's fate. But what could he use as a distraction?

It was then the doctor was provided with the answer.

"Do you smell something?"

WordGirl was confused about her enemy's comment as she watched him begin smelling the air.

"Uh, are you trying to stall for time?" WordGirl relaxed her stance.

At first Two-Brains was, but that smell was beginning to get stronger.

"No, I'm serious," he said turning to his now lightheaded henchmen. "Get away from that door."

"Now that you mention it," WordGirl took a deep breath. There was something in the air.

"It's gas." Both WordGirl and Two-Brains voiced.

WordGirl rushed for the doors and threw them open as Dr. Two-Brains went to help his men get out of the building.

The super girl held her breath as she scanned the kitchen for Scoops. The reporter had his head hanging out of a small window placed over the counter.

WordGirl came alongside Scoops.

"Come on we have to get out of here." WordGirl pulled on Scoops' arm only to find his head was stuck.

"I think I'm stuck." He replied softly. "I was to open back door. I think something's out front of door blocking it. I wanted to get you attention but man in front of doors woul' be mad."

Scoops was rambling . . . incoherently; not a good sign for someone who had been inhaling nocuous fumes. Worse was the fact that Scoops was trapped in a building that could go up in flames at any moment.

Becky panicked at that thought.

She couldn't just yank him from the wall; that could seriously hurt him, nor could she punch out the wall; the brinks could rub against each other making a spark. In fact, almost any type of heavy friction could cause a spark . . . including Two-Brains forcing open the front door.

Leaving Scoops behind, WordGirl flew from the kitchen and out to the criminals. They had yet to leave the building as the gas was slowing them down.

This was another superpower WordGirl enjoyed having. She could hold her breath for a long, long, long time, allowing her to travel through space, explore underwater, and withstand fumes. But even she would eventually need to breath. It was never good to withhold air from one's self; note why she never held her breath around bad smells.

"Doctor, we can't open the door . . ."

"I know," the doctor strained to speak. "I examined the door, it's wired."

Wired? What did he mean by that?

"The moment we open that door this place will go up like a Roman Candle."

WordGirl looked at the entrance hall and then back at Dr. Two-Brains. It was obvious that someone had planned this and it was clear Dr. Two-Brains knew nothing about it. But that would mean someone was waiting to see the place blow-up; they must have had more then one way to detonate the club.

"There has to be another way out of here."

Scoops had mentioned a back door. WordGirl remembered she had seen one on her way in by the deck. Due to the water, there was no way a spark could be made by forcing it open.

"Doctor, I need you to follow me back into the kitchen, there should be a safe exit there."

WordGirl helped Dr. Two-Brains and his men back to the kitchen. With one good kick WordGirl managed to open the door to the deck.

Luckily the winds and rains had lightened up a bit and allowed the doctor and his men to step out on the deck safely without being pushed off.

The three men coughed a bit as they regained their bearings. WordGirl tried to remain calm, but her nerves were getting the best of her. She looked over at the small kitchen window.

Scoops' face had become a pale red from his failed efforts to free himself. He had apparently received enough clean air to regain his senses. WordGirl came up to him.

"Are you certain you're stuck?"

"Do you think I'm standing here for the view." Scoops started pulling back again.

"Why did you stick your head out that little window? Isn't there a vent somewhere in there?"

"I wasn't thinking okay; can we focus on getting me out now!"

Becky sighed. She wasn't really sure how to get his head out of there. She remembered the time TJ got his head stuck in the stair railing. Her father had used a combo of butter, baby oil, and soap to try and free the little nuisance. Unfortunately her father ended up having to call someone to cut the rails around his head. There wasn't enough time to do that now; the butter would have to work.

WordGirl flew back inside and around the kitchen. She grabbed olive and vegetable oil, dish soap and butter.

"Hope this works."

WordGirl spread her slippery concoction all over the back of Scoops' head and then did the same for the front of him.

"Careful not to get it in my eyes, WordGirl." Scoops spat as a stream of oil ran down the side of his face.

"Sorry, but we need to hurry."

The scene of Scoops' head finally breaking free from the window was watched in great disdain. Adler had been watching the building since he had sent Curtis to fill it with gas.

"Idiot was supposed to make sure she blew herself up." Adler crossed his arms and glared at the club from his safe position across the lake. He then smiled. "Good thing I don't leave everything up to him." Adler reached for a remote of his own.

WordGirl escorted Scoops out onto the deck where Dr. Two-Brains and his men were regaining coherence. From here she would be able to fly everyone to safety.

WordGirl didn't get that chance. Despite the complaints of the men around her and the whistle of the stormy wind, WordGirl was deaf to all sounds but the one of a small click. Somehow, there had been a spark.

There was hardly any time to think about what she had heard, let alone act upon it as a fiery ball of heat pushed towards her. WordGirl grabbed the four people around her and drove them into the lake.

Effortlessly their bodies flung over the rail and into the rough waters below. The sound of the explosion behind her was like nothing she had ever heard before. It was so loud and frightening that it took everything within her not to panic. It took even more strength to wrestle with the air deprived persons she was carrying.

She had grabbed the henchmen's collars in one hand and Scoops' and Dr. Two-Brains' in the other. Scoops seemed to be struggling the most being he had a smaller lung capacity. It did seem a bit unfair forcing a group of people who had just been inhaling gas to hold their breath without warning, but it was the only thing she could think of to save their lives.

The water around the group began to get warm. WordGirl did her best to swim away from the heated water, but without the use of her hands it was futile.

Adler continued to watch the explosion. It was at that moment that Curtis entered the room of the lake house they had "borrowed."

"See," Curtis laughed as he came beside Adler. "No more country club and I can assure you WordGirl was in it."

"Can you really." Adler already knew the answer but posed the question for Curtis' sake.

"Of course, she was fighting with the mouse man and stupid was there too."

The flames of the explosion subsided. Adler never removed his eyes from it.

"She wasn't inside that building."

"What?!"

"You're beginning to really displease me Curtis."

"I promise you I did everything you told me to. She was in there Adler, I heard her voice and the reporter kid was there." Curtis frightfully explained; his partner not moved by his emotional response. "Besides, you said the explosion wouldn't have killed her anyway. We couldn't have obtained our goal this way even if it were successful."

"I don't want her dead yet, Curtis," Adler's lip quivered as he restrained his anger. "That eruption would have been strong enough to knockout our little hero of steel so the reporter, who was Not suppose to be in the building, could make account of her identity." Adler's restraint could last no longer. "We Could Have Caught Her! She was right within our grasp, and you messed it up!"

Adler seemed to choke on the last few words of his statement. His anger was getting the best of him. Adler coughed for a moment.

"I, I'm sorry," Curtis frowned with some concern for Adler. "Next time I'll make sure she's. . ."

"Next Time," Cough. "Next time I'll be blowing you up with her!" Adler took hold of Curtis' jacket collar and shook him as he spoke. "What I want you to do is go down there and track that horrid girl home!"

As Adler unsettled his partner's jacket, the remaining school files fell from Curtis' inner pocket. The contents of the files spilled out onto the floor, mixing names and pictures.

One picture caught Adler's attention.

Adler released his hold and went quickly to the picture. Curtis rubbed the rim of his neck as he watched his partner stare unbelievingly at the photo.

Curtis couldn't read the expression now fixated on Adler's face. It might have been one of shock or quite possibly fear, but whatever it was, Curtis knew it was going to spell trouble for him.

"What is it Adler?" Curtis approached with caution.

Adler gazed up at his partner concealing the picture from him. Curtis could never remember a time seeing Adler as he was now. Horror and rage had consumed the man, controlling his every movement; from the blinking of an eye to a nervous twitch.

"I want you," the words seemed to shake Adler's being. "To lay off catching WordGirl."

Curtis couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"She's the whole reason we're out here. You can't become king without her Adler."

"It won't matter if I don't take care of someone else first." This was uttered so delicately it was almost not audible.

Adler rose to his feet staring into the eyes of Curtis before speaking.

"Is that reporter boy still bugged?"

"Wha, we're talking about WordGi. . . ."

"Can you still track him?! I'm not asking about WordGirl!"

"Yes," Curtis took a step back hoping to avoid Adler's wrath. "When we met him I placed the microbe on his hat; if he keeps that with him I can track him."

"The next time he's alone, grab him."

Adler made his way to leave the room, but was stopped by Curtis' next words.

"We . . . we can't do that."

Adler slowly turned to his partner. He didn't speak, yet it was apparent he was unsatisfied with that answer.

"What I mean to say," Curtis continued. "Is that the High Law doesn't permit us having a lot of contact with Mother Earth. We've already gone too far in talking with the boy and . . ."

Adler's stomach-turning smirk silenced Curtis.

"Well, in order to keep intergalactic balance, we'll kill the boy when we're done with him. Will that be okay with you?"

Curtis was filled with an uneasiness that bore itself on his face and amusing Adler. His smile deepened. Adler left the room leaving behind a very confused associate plagued with unanswerable questions and a fate undecided.

"I have to know what he's doing."

Curtis fell to the ground and began collecting the loose papers and pictures. He separated the file reports by the girl names and the boy names. He did the same for the pictures. There were the same number of female pictures as reports so Adler must have taken a picture of a boy. Sadly there was no way of matching the files to find the one that was missing. Any picture could go to any file.

But maybe one of the names would stand out to him.

Curtis started reading each child's report.

A boy named Ben, who was now 12, was the winner of the Curiosity Award for being the most ambitious student in the science lab. That didn't sound like someone Adler would be interested in.

Eli, age 11, had been suspended the last three days for climbing into a monkey cage on a school field trip to the zoo. Geoffrey, age 12, had constructed a labyrinth for his class' pet guinea pig and Sean, age 10, was being awarded for starting a recycling program on his school campus. So many students that didn't seem to be that important, even a student named Steven who had brought a pet hedgehog, Prickly-Angusworth Longfellow III, to school and lost it; a reward was still posted for its capture.

What could Adler have seen?

That answer became clear to Curtis when he flipped to the next report.

_o_

"Becky Botsford, you open this door right now."

Sally fought with the locked door handle.

"Becky, Open the door." She wasn't in the best of moods at this moment. "You know you're not supposed to lock doors in this house."

Sally took a step back and placed her hands on her hips. She needed to calm down; there was no reason to yell at her daughter through a locked door.

It was just so frustrating. Why was Becky acting like this? Sally couldn't understand. Becky seemed fine up until the vacation was announced, since then she was avoiding her family, lying about things and now disobeying house rules.

Maybe Becky was getting to that age. No, not her baby, not at eleven.

Sally knocked on the door gently.

"Becky I know you've been feeling down lately," Sally pressed her ear against the door in hopes of hearing her daughter but could only make out the soft chips of Bob. "This isn't going to fix the problem Becky."

The door remained locked.

"Becky if this is about me not letting you leave this afternoon. . ."

Sally wasn't sure what to say. It seemed she was offering her voice to the ears of the deaf; there was a wall between the language she spoke and that of her daughter's. Why did it feel like Becky was floating so far away when in fact there was little cause for alarm? A somber feeling surged into Sally as she now stared worryingly at the closed door between her and her child.

Should she get the bedroom key?

No, it would be best to just let Becky cool off from her anger; she'd come down when she was ready. Whatever the problem was, Sally knew forcing her way into Becky's affairs wouldn't help mend the gap between them.

"We're going to have dinner without you Becky. I'll put yours in the refrigerator. When you're ready to eat just come down."

Why was this so hard?

When Mrs. Botsford had come back downstairs, her husband and son had glued themselves to the TV screen again.

"I told you to turn that thing off TJ."

Mr. Tim Botsford looked up at his wife.

"Honey there was an explosion by the lake."

"What?" Sally joined the two in front of the television.

The news reporters had not arrived on the scene yet, but had received a call from a person nearby.

"The city's Yacht and Country Club has mysterious gone up in flames," The reporter spoke. "As of yet, no rescuers have arrived on the scene, but there is no reason to believe anyone was inside the building at the time. The explosion completely destroyed the club and it is believed that it may have been caused by the old gas stove in the club's kitchen. We'll give you more information as the situation develops. In other news, the mayor is still waiting for WordGirl's response to Dr. Two-Brains' threat . . ."

Sally rose and turned off the television.

"Mom," TJ whined as he jumped to his feet from the sofa. "I want to hear what happens."

"They don't know anything else about it TJ, now go sit up at the table."

Sally sent one more worried glance up the stairs before sitting with her family and explaining Becky's absents.

* * *

(A/N) Hope you enjoyed. Sorry to leave a cliffhanger, but you know how it is. Thanks for your patience and your reviews.


	11. Word Cat

Disclaimer- I don't own WordGirl, but I bet you can find who does.

* * *

Friday morning.

Bob had awoken early to the sound of gentle scratching against Becky's bedroom window.

Bob stretched as he got up from his bed. His leg was feeling much better, so he decided to investigate the noise for himself. The monkey shot a glance over at the sleeping girl. It was nice to see her resting. Just a day ago she had managed to break a two day fever. She had made herself sick with all the stress she had been through, that explosion being the last straw.

Bob still remembered how worn out she was when she came home that night. Her exhausted body couldn't even stay awake long enough to get dinner.

The scratching sound came again.

To Bob's delight it was Norton up on the window sill, the neighborhood's bushy tailed tabby. The friendly cat was pawing for Bob's attention. So without hesitation Bob took the chair from Becky's vanity mirror and pushed it under the window. He climbed up to open the glass, smiling at his friend all the while.

"Well top-of-the-morning to ya, Bobby-boy." Norton sang out as the glass was removed.

Bob shushed the cat and gestured over to the still fast asleep Becky.

"Right," Norton whispered. "She's still in bed."

The cat leaped down from the window into the room and, with the stealth that only a cat could have, Norton jumped onto the bed and peered down at the sleeping girl.

"My, my, how is sleeping beauty?" he spoke delicately as not to wake her. "She's looking much better I'd have to say. Much better indeed."

The cat joined his friend on the floor under his point of entrée.

"It's hard to believe she was so sick just a day ago," Norton stretched out on the floor. "Poor girl had her whole family worried; she must have had every pet in the neighborhood, nay the city, distressing about her." Norton watched as Bob let out a distressed sigh. "And . . . you're unhappy."

"Not unhappy, Norton, just worried." Bob sat on the floor and rested his head in his hand.

"Worried about what? Clearly nothing is a match for the indestructible WordWoman!"

"Her name's WordGirl."

"What?! What is she now, like thirty? Why she callin' herself gir..."

"She's only eleven." Bob sighed again.

"So, that's like 77 in dog years, ha ha."

Bob did not join the cat in his jesting. Norton removed the smile from his face and continued on trying to comfort his friend.

"Well regardless, what's got you worried," the cat placed a concerned paw on the monkey's knee. "You can tell Norton."

"Becky's been pushing herself very hard lately. There's so much she has to put up with and she's so young. Plus, I've been having these weird dreams lately."

"That's it, that's no reason to worry about Becky," the cat sat up to be at eye level with Bob. "Dreams never come true. So she had one close run in with death; it's not like anybody died."

"No, there not just dreams." Bob looked away from his friend to try and hide some of his fears. "There more like memories."

Norton took back his paw and gave it a quick lick. He then took on a playful position. He was sure a speech would encourage his long time friend and remind him that there was nothing to fear; at least that's how it worked in the books written by his owner.

"Just a few days ago I watched as a waterlogged hero dragged not only herself, but four other people from certain death in boiling water." A fact that wasn't true as he wasn't present, but it sounded really good. "Nothing about her demeanor implied that she was weak, and with a fortitude surpassing all animal comprehension, she's battled the raging flu that accompanied it. What evil can you dream up that could take this girl on and win?"

Bob only turned to his friend with sadden eyes.

"Britannica."

Pause.

"The, encyclopedia? You fear the encyclopedia?"

"No, just forget it." Bob looked back at Becky before addressing Norton again.

"Well, if you're worried about her getting sick again, I'd say don't. She's pretty smart and knows her limits; well she does now anyway. If I were you, I'd be more worried that her parents would find her staying out so late."

"They almost did."

Norton flicked his tail about anxiously waiting for the story.

"Mrs. Botsford tried to enter her room that night right after she left and again after dinner."

"And how, dare I ask, did she not find out?"

Bob laughed lightly.

"It's kinda funny really, I pretended I was Becky and got into her bed. Her mother thought her daughter had fallen asleep and decided not to wake her."

"Lucky for you."

"Yes, and for Becky. Having a cold the next day made it less suspicious for her falling asleep so early."

Norton laughed at the thought of Bob disguising himself as a little girl. Norton couldn't help being happy that Becky was blessed with such a wonderful animal as Bob. That human would be so lost without this monkey in front of him.

"I'm just worried about something she said." Bob heaved a sigh.

Norton leapt up into the chair and laid out to get comfortable.

"So what did she tell you. Please also tell me how she got out, I do want to know."

"Well, she was fighting Dr. Two-Brains when she noticed the gas leak and quickly got everyone out."

"I remember, you told me that the night she came home dripping wet."

"Well, she managed to fly everyone out of the lake and get them on shore. She was really upset because her friend had stopped breathing and she's been blaming herself for the past few days."

"My lands, did the kid die?!"

"No, he only suffered near drowning; I think that's what it's called. Still serious though and he spent the night at the hospital." Bob frowned at the thought. Norton sat up for a better view of Becky.

"I'm not sure what any of that means," the feline guest lowered his ears. "But is that what she told you; she's upset because that kid drowned?"

"He didn't drown per say, but she was really upset about him." Bob pouted a bit. "But that's not what disturbed me most."

Norton jumped down from the chair directly in front of the primate.

"Well get on with it, what did she say?!"

"She said someone had planned the explosion."

"You mean the explosion wasn't an accident? Why would someone blow up the country club? They serve such wonderful fish after parties." Norton's mouth watered.

"I don't know who did, but I fear I know who would."

"Who?"

At that moment there came the usual wake-up calls in the Botsford home, along with the usual smell of the Friday breakfast being made.

"Well that's my cue to go."

Norton was back out the window in the blink of an eye, and with some fancy footwork, Norton was safe on the ground and on his way. He had learned over the years that the Botsford's didn't enjoy the company of strange animals in the house.

Bob went and poked his head out of the bedroom in time to see Sally disappear down the stairs. Looking over at Becky's brother's room, TJ had barely opened the door and was trying to beat his sister to the shower. Unfortunately his scramble only got him a bump on the head.

"Stupid door," he hallowed at the slightly ajar door.

Bob went back into the room and shut the door.

Becky was slowly adjusting to the waking world when her dear friend joined her in the bed. Becky smiled at the monkey as she slowly sat up and stroked Bob's head.

It had been such a long week; two days of which she had spent sick in bed. The changing temperature of the water, the lack of sleep and the stress she had been through took their toll on her Wednesday. She woke up with a 100.2 fever and the accompanying stomach virus encouraged her mother to keep her home from school Thursday.

Time would only tell what mayhem had ensued while WordGirl was out sick for two days.

. . .especially since Dr. Two-Brains had "escaped."

Becky didn't want to think about that right now. She had already beaten herself up about the events of Tuesday for the last 48 hours. She needed to try and focus on getting ready for school.

Groan.

And that promise she had made with Tobey. Today was going to be dreadful.

Becky swung her legs over the side of the bed with the intent of getting up, but then she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her hair was not the same length on both sides. She had completely forgotten; no wonder her dad was giving her odd looks yesterday.

Scoops would definitely notice. That's if he could even make it to school.

Becky shook the memory from her mind. She couldn't think about that. "Becky" wasn't there and thus she wasn't deeply affected by it. She was only a concerned friend.

Sigh.

"I'm going to have to do something Bob, help me think." Becky approached the mirror with a rather sadden disposition.

Bob chipped his thoughts but quickly received a rebuttal.

"I can't just cut the other half three inches." Becky fussed, her displeasure with current circumstances slipping out in her words.

Becky played with the loose strands still remaining on the damaged side. Why did he have to do this? Why'd he have to be there in the first place? He never would have been hurt if he. . .

Focus on school.

Becky felt Bob pulling on her night shirt. Looking down she was confronted with the answer to her hair problem. Bob was holding up a hair tie.

"Great idea Bob," Becky took the scrunchy from him. "I'll just put my hair up today. It won't look like I've cut it short and Scoops won't be able to tell what he's done to it."

With a new sense of self confidence Becky went to pick out her clothes for the day and grab her book-bag. It was then she realized she had never gone back for her bag Monday. Becky also didn't ask for the instructions for that assignment Tuesday.

Becky had forgotten to do her project!

"Oh, Bob." Becky dropped to her knees. "How could I have forgotten; this project was worth so much and it was part of my English grade."

Becky lowered her head in defeat. It was official, today was the worst day in history. All Bob could do was pat Becky on the back and hope it provided some comfort.

"Oh well," Becky got up and headed for the shower. "Not much I can do about it now, except beg for more time."

The bathroom door was locked. TJ had beaten her to it.

"Hurry up TJ!" Becky knocked several times.

TJ's muffled voice replied, "You always waste all the hot water, it's my turn!"

"I do not waste water; you're the one who takes five hours to wash off!"

"Can it, sis! I made it first, so deal!"

Becky scowled, but could do nothing else but wait. At least there was the hope her teacher would give her more time due to her illness.

Cleaned and dressed, Becky was ready for school. She joined her family downstairs for breakfast with the brightest, most surefooted smile she could muster.

"Becky!" Mr. Botsford greeted his daughter as she sat at the table. "Feeling good enough for school again?"

Becky's confidence fled at this question.

"Maybe." Becky much rather skip another day than face her teacher without her homework.

"Is your stomach still upset?" Mrs. Botsford asked as she placed a very small helping on Becky's plate. "I don't want you eating too much today and no heavy activities."

"Don't worry mom, I'm fine." Becky didn't want to put her mother through any more tension if possible. Becky knew her mom had already been through so much due to Becky's lies and bad attitude. Not to mention that extra attention she had been getting due to being sick.

Becky couldn't help but smile at the thought of how much her parents loved her. She was very lucky to have them. Too bad crime fighting always seemed to get in the way.

The doorbell?

It was at that moment the Botsfords' family breakfast was interrupted by the familiar sound.

"I'll get it." Sally rose from the table.

Upon the door opening, Becky almost had her own drowning experience in her orange juice glass. Violet had come to walk with Becky to school. Why had she come today? Violet didn't come yesterday, why now? If Mrs. Botsford said anything about her daughter spending the summer with Violet, all her lies would be exposed.

"Good morning Mrs. Botsford," Violet sang. "Is Becky well enough to come to school today?"

Becky quickly sprang from the table and over to the door.

"Here I am, I'm ready to go; let's go!" Becky tried to push Violet from the door.

"What's the big hurry Becky?" Sally patted Becky's head lightly. "We made a pretty large breakfast; would you like some Violet?"

"Oh it does smell good." Violet took a step into the house but was pulled back out by her friend.

"What Violet means to say is that it smells great, but we really need to be heading to school."

"But we'd be really early?" Violet turned to her friend with concern.

Becky didn't know what to say to that, yet she had to do something.

"Exactly Becky," Sally agreed with Violet. "Please come in and help yourself. It's the least we can do since you'll be feeding Becky all summer."

Becky's heart felt like it had stopped. Violet's face was covered in confusion by this statement and she was bound to ask about it. What could Becky do?

"What do you mea. . . ?"

"We'd love to stay mom." Becky trampled over Violet's words. "But there's that project we should be working on and I'd like an early start since I was sick."

Becky grabbed her friend's hand and dragged her out the door. Violet couldn't protest against Becky's 'newfound' strength nor did Sally wish to interfere with Becky's studies.

"But Becky, the project's due today."

Again Becky ignored Violet's remarks and waved goodbye to her mother forcing Violet down the driveway.

"Becky?" Violet pushed the aggressive girl away from her just as they reached the end of the driveway. "Why are you acting like this? You knew the project was due today; you can't work on it now."

Becky hadn't mentioned the English project to her parents; they most likely thought she meant her "science" project.

"I'm sorry, it's just. . ." Becky couldn't explain, but she didn't want to lie to her friend like she had to her parents. Perhaps a partial truth would be enough, at least enough to keep her from going back inside. "Violet, I never did my project."

Gasp.

"Becky that assignment is worth a lot! Why didn't you do it?"

"I was sick and very tired."

"But you never forget your homework! It's so not-like-you . . ."

Becky didn't like the way Violet had said that. The look she was receiving made her feel like the subject of scrutiny. Becky took a step back from Violet; somehow frightened by what surely was congenial concern.

Violet only had one thing on her mind; this was suspicious.

"Well, sorry." Becky lowered her gaze. "I have to go."

Becky made her way to the school; alone. She needed time to think, away from everyone. Violet began to follow Becky, but stopped, and stared. This was out of character for Becky. WordGirl or not, Becky would never forget a homework assignment. One thing was for sure, something was defiantly wrong with Becky and it was coming in-between their friendship.

Becky's mind became a battlefield. So many things to think about and yet no way to sort them out. Becky stopped walking and leaned against something mounted by the sidewalk; she just needed to take a quick breather and think.

Her family was on their way to Florida; a trip WordGirl couldn't take and yet Becky shouldn't miss. Her parents were worried that she was suffering from separation anxiety and were only letting her stay due to their guilt; a guilt she had given them. Crime was running rampant and she was losing track of most of the villains.

She had failed to keep up with her school work and she was lying to her parents with the help of her enemies, while at the same time protecting the citizens of the city.

She had lied to the faces of her best friends who were now acting very weird and seemingly coming close to discovering her secret. She was going to have to lie to her family for a month as she would also have to take care of herself alone.

But the issue most weighing on her mind; someone wanted to hurt her.

The building didn't explode due to a leak, but because someone had planned it to. A fact that was still unsettling to Becky as four other people almost died with her. This person didn't care if they hurt others as long as they got to her. Perhaps she was misinterpreting the attack; maybe the person was after Dr. Two-Brains. That didn't seem likely though. She was the prime target to any and all evil in this city.

Sigh.

Did someone really make an attempt on her life or was she just freaking herself out? Maybe this was just the result of being stuck in bed for two days with nothing better to think about.

Becky glanced down at the object she had been leaning against. It was a newspaper dispenser and a reminder of the unpleasant events of the explosion. Scoops had almost died due to her inability to conjure up an escape plan.

She hadn't meant to keep the group under water as long as she did. There was so much going on at once she wasn't sure what to do. WordGirl had never experienced a situation like that before, and she had no hero instinct kicking in once she entered the water. It was like she had jumped into a sea of panic with four large weights tired to her neck.

What was worse was having to pull everyone up on shore to find Scoops had stopped breathing. Becky's heart pounded hard as the memories flooded back.

_o_

Although the henchmen coughed and stirred with life, WordGirl couldn't help but stare at the motionless body of the reporter. It was apparent she had drawn a blank on what to do as her eyes seemed hallow and thoughtless.

Any onlooker could see that this event had deeply wounded the super hero. The world seemed to stop around her; everything faded away except for the limp child on the ground.

"I, I. . . don't know what to do. . ." terror flickered in WordGirl's eyes as a quick reminder of her young age and inexperienced heroism. "I don't know CPR!"

It was that vociferation that echoed through Dr. Two-Brains' mind. That cry remained with him the entire evening and well into Friday morning.

Without any other place to go, Two-Brains and his henchmen returned to the old lair. It was comforting to be surrounded by the warehouse where he birth some of his greatest schemes, but right now Two-Brains felt his lair was more of a hide away from his own uncertainties.

That day at the lake extremely disturbed him. The doctor didn't want to care about it, he didn't need to care about it, but somewhere within him Prof. Boxleitner did. In him was some illogical fear for his dear friend and lifelong enemy.

"Curse this split personality of mine."

Two-Brains slammed a fist down on the table he had been sitting at. The two henchmen looked over at the doctor from the back of the warehouse. They were concerned about their boss' strange behavior, yet their better judgment kept them away from confronting him.

Two-Brains leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples.

"Maybe I just need to, steal some cheese, take a break, that could be nice."

Two-Brains' speech to himself didn't calm his anxieties. Not even the thought of cheese could erase the image of what WordGirl looked like in that moment.

She never looked so scared before. She didn't even flinch at the thought of harm coming to herself, but she seemed to lose it at the reporter's near death experience. It was in that instant that Two-Brains remembered that WordGirl was, well, a girl. Not a power house, not an unfeeling robot hero, but a frail human being like anyone else. . . save from being from the planet Lexicon.

Either way, she was a kid taking on responsibilities that even adults would have trouble dealing with.

But why did he care?!

"I don't!" Two-Brains said to himself in a failed attempt to overwhelm his former feelings. "I don't care about WordGirl anymore than I do for mouse traps!"

The doctor grabbed his head as it felt like both his brains were swelling. He hadn't felt Prof. Boxleitner fighting with his better reason in years. The feeling was almost destructive.

To Steven Boxleitner WordGirl was more than just a superhero or defender of the city, she was his friend and most trusted supporter. They had known each other since she started the whole super hero business. And even when the scientific community had mocked Boxleitner's advancements in the perfect pancake flipping spatula, WordGirl was there to cheer him on to marketing the thing in France. And it sold splendidly. She had even allowed him to study her life for his book, Super Heroes and You, a record he turned around and used against her.

"Oh how could I have done so much evil!"

At this cry the two henchmen could no longer ignore the pain of the doctor. They speedily made their way to where he was seated to see that he had fallen to his knees holding his head tightly between his hands.

"Boss, boss!"

The henchmen dropped to the doctor's level trying to locate the source of his pain. As they reached out to help him up, however, he rapidly swatted their hands away.

"Don't touch me." The doctor hissed causing his men to stand back away from him.

But just as readily as he frighten them; he begged for them to return.

"No, please help me."

The two lackeys were so confused by their boss' actions that they only stood back and watched the man struggle with himself.

"How could I have done this to my friend; a child! She never would have put herself in danger if it hadn't been for me. Someone could have died because of me. I don't want to do this evil anymore!" Boxleitner voiced.

"No, I am Dr. Two-Brains. I am the terror of this city and I will have the cheese. WordGirl's safety doesn't concern me. If she destroys herself all the better for me." Squeaky barked.

"She's like a little sister to me!"

"She's an annoyance that always gets in the way of my happiness!"

The henchmen shot worried glances at one another as the doctor carried on like that for several long minutes. Finally the doctor stopped. He stood upright and shook his head.

"Uh, you okay boss?"

"What?" Two-Brains was unaware that his men had been watching him that whole time. "Yeah I'm fine, just ignore any vociferations like that." He tried to laugh off his embarrassment.

"Of course boss but, uh. . ?"

"But what?" the doctor vexed.

"What does vo-ver-cation mean?"

Two-Brains sighed.

"It's another word for cry or noisy, clamorous shout."

"Oh."

Back at Wood View Elementary, students had arrived for class. There was an extreme joy among the students as today wasn't just Friday, but the second to the last week of school. The children's excitement could hardly be contained, to the great dismay of their teachers.

Violet approached the school with her head down. She watched her left foot advance the right and then vice versa.

"I wonder if we're still friends." Violet sniffed as she stopped outside the school doors.

Maybe Becky just wanted to walk alone. But why didn't she do her homework? Becky was such a good student. . . kind of like how she use to be a good friend. Something must have happened to Becky.

Violet closed her eyes and tried to think of the moment she first noticed Becky acting out of sorts. She was always busy, always running off to do something random. . . but Becky always did that. From the first art class they shared till now, leaving was just what Becky did.

"But friends shouldn't leave friends."

What about the WordGirl theory? Aside from alien parasites, what if Becky was WordGirl? It would explain why Becky was always running off. And maybe that's why Becky missed doing her homework, she was fighting crime.

Violet opened her eyes and looked at the reflective glass in the doors.

"But why would she not tell me?"

_If_ Becky _was_ WordGirl, then she wasn't Violet's best friend. Friends don't hide things like that from each other. Could Violet really accept that?

Just then Violet's lone time was interrupted.

Scoops had made it to school today and was now waving vigorously at Violet through the glass.

"Morning!" Scoops opened the door and gestured for Violet to come in.

"Oh, hi." Violet spoke rather dejectedly. "I'm happy to see you're feeling better."

"Never better."

"I heard you were in the hospital."

"Only for a night, nothing to be too worried about." Scoops laughed; apprehension springing up at the memory. "I just wish I could have written an article about it."

"Why didn't you?"

"My dad took me off the paper for the rest of the year." Scoops frowned as he pointed to his head.

It was then Violet noticed he wasn't wearing his usual hat. His parents must have taken it away as a physical showing of his demotion.

"I'm sorry to hear that, I know you really like your paper."

"Yeah, dad said I needed to take a break from it and find a 'new' hobby."

He spoke the word 'new' with such disgust that Violet couldn't help but smile. It was a relief to hear he wasn't working on the paper, at least now he wouldn't ask about WordG-

"So have you noticed Becky acting weird lately?" Scoops seemed almost too excited.

Violet couldn't think of what to say. How was she supposed to answer a question like that?

"Does it look like she got a hair cut or anything?"

"Uh, um, she put her hair up, I can't tell." Violet diverted her eye contact.

"Clever, but not clever enough." Scoops grinned. "Do you think you could get her to put her hair down for ya?"

Was this all he could think about?

"Why does it matter Scoops? Aren't you grounded from the paper anyway?" Violet did her best not to sound upset. She just wanted to avoid the subject altogether and get her friend back.

"Only from the Daily Rag, but I still need this story to impress the Times." Scoops could have kicked himself after saying that. He knew Violet would not react well to his ulterior motive.

"Is that why you're doing this? Just to get a story?!" Violet's eyes narrowed.

"No, no, no. I mean, it's part of it yes, but you see these two men from the Times offered me a place in the paper, but I'm really trying to help. . ."

"Just stop it Todd!" Violet was mad and her anger was beginning to catch the ears of passers-by. "Becky is my friend and I want to help her, not boost your ego. If all you care about is writing stories and impressing people, then I want nothing to do with it."

With that Violet pulled the reporter's notebook from her pocket and threw it on the ground in front of him. Violet then put her nose as high up as she could to walk past Scoops, hoping to send the signal of pure disapproval. She then stopped to say one more thing; not so much to him as herself.

"Even if Becky's not 'my' best friend anymore, true friends don't betray each other."

Violet left.

Across the hall, Tobey watched as Scoops stoped and stare at the book on the ground. The ex-reporter blinked as he seemed to be thinking about what was said to him. He then grabbed his notepad and tore the first few pages out. Tobey couldn't resist a good snicker. It was funny seeing the 'ace reporter' getting chewed-out, especially by Violet. Good times.

* * *

(A/N) I hope this was enjoyed by all. Thank you my reviewers. School starts up Wed. for me and it looks like it will be a very busy semester. Your patience, as always, will be greatly appreciated. I'll work harder on my character development as well.


	12. Promises

Disclaimer- I don't own WordGirl, but I bet you can find who does.

* * *

Becky felt like she was seated on pins and needles as she waited for her class to start. She decided to get to class early. The last thing she needed was to arrive late with no homework.

Becky could never remember a time when she was so nervous in school. As the bell rang she almost jumped out of her skin. This was going to be the end of her straight A career. Becky felt the honor roll slip through her fingers as her fellow classmates, projects in hand, entered the room. Oh the shame!

A few more students entered the room. Becky swallowed hard at the thought that it might be Violet. She didn't understand why, but she had felt so guilty under Violet's gaze earlier. The lies she had been telling were now driving Becky to fear the presence of her friend.

But Becky's desires could not hold Violet off. Violet came through the door and her eyes immediately fell on Becky. The girl at her desk had turned away from the door and showed no want of speaking with Violet.

So Violet just took her seat. She set her project on her desk; a shinny book with her family story written inside. Violet stared at the cover of the book that she had spent so much time on. It was intricately decorated with a bunch of stickers Becky had given her awhile ago. Pretty stars that Violet wouldn't get a chance to show Becky had been put to good use.

The late bell rang out as the teacher rose from the back desk.

"Good morning class," the teacher greeted. "I'd like to start today by having each of you share a page from your family books."

The class groaned.

Becky cringed at the thought of having to announce to her class that she couldn't share her project because she didn't do it. Every time the teacher called on another student to speak, Becky would twitch at the possibility that she would be next.

Finally her name was called.

"Becky it's your turn to share with the class."

Becky didn't respond immediately. What could she say?

Violet peered over at her friend.

"I, I don't have my project." Becky lowered her head in disgrace.

"Do you mean you forgot it at home?" the teacher seemed unable to believe the words just spoken.

"No," Becky sighed. "I didn't do the project."

The whole class seemed to gasp. No one in the room could believe Becky had failed to do a homework assignment. Not even Violet could fully believe what she just heard and she already knew.

"Oh," the teacher finally spoke. "Becky, I'd like to speak with you during recess today."

Becky couldn't think of a time when she was more embarrassed.

"Teacher!"

Becky looked up to notice Tobey raising his hand.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to announce that I too have neglected to do this project."

"Why am I not surprised?" the teacher's sarcasm was dry. "Then I suppose it is only fair that you stay during recess as well Mr. MacCallister."

"Thank you, thank you very much."

Becky dropped her head to her desk. Why? Why did life so strongly dislike her?

"Well if no one else would like to confess?" the teacher glared around the room. "Violet would you please share your book."

Violet rose from her seat and made her way to the front of the class.

"I, I . . ." Violet paused and took a deep breath.

She stared hard at the page she had selected to share. It didn't seem as wonderful as when she was making it. Violet had put so much effort into her book; now it hardly seemed worth it. Becky was still avoiding eye contact with her and Violet suddenly felt her project was inadequate.

"My Family . . ." Violet stopped again.

"No need to be shy Violet." the teacher gently spoke, never knowing Violet to be so timid when sharing her art.

Violet looked over the page again. She then rested her eyes on the profile of her best friend. It was then Violet had an idea. She thumbed through the pages to the last segment of her book.

"Throughout this book I have shared the stories of my family and the wonders of our love, but my family is not just the people I come home to after school or on holidays. My family is the people I trust the most with my love." Violet smiled.

This statement had caught Becky's attention and her crestfallen heart.

"My church, my friends, the familiar faces, the smiling faces, the hurt that took the time to help me, and WordGirl." Violet added the next line as she gazed at her friend. "Who lays down her life to protect the ones I trust. My family is this city and everyone who dares call themselves a citizen of it. Thank you."

It was a small segment, but somehow, Violet felt better.

"Miss. Heaslip that was beautiful." the teacher sniffed before calling on the next student.

For a moment Becky sat, unable to understand what it was she had just heard. But then she realized what those words had meant to her.

Lately she had been very standoffish to her friend. WordGirl's dramas had consumed so much of Becky's time that she was missing out on the people she loved.

Becky sighed and lowered her head once more.

She was going to miss her family that month and she was going to forfeit a lot of memories in order to protect the city. And Violet was going to be gone next week.

Trust.

Violet had used the cutting word "trust." Right now, Becky didn't feel very trustworthy. She had been lying nonstop since she had become a super hero. She had kept her identity a secret for so long that lying to her friends and family was almost habit to her.

But what about Scoops? Had she not been doing the superhero thing . . . who was she kidding? He never would have been in trouble if it wasn't for her. Many of the people she cared about were put in danger because of her. And now there was a new threat. Someone had tried to seriously hurt her and they didn't seem to mind hurting others in the process.

"We'll beating myself up won't help." Becky whispered to herself as she raised her head. "I need to find whoever did that, save my city. . . and apologize to the ones I love."

Becky wore a weak smile when the recess bell rang. Even though she would have to sit through yet another lecture, she could finally get a chance to talk to Violet.

Becky went to Violet's desk and stopped her best friend from leaving.

"Violet?"

Violet smiled warmly without any doubt.

"I'm sorry I've been so busy lately." Becky began rubbing her hands together.

"It's okay Becky."

"No its not, I want to make it up to you this weekend."

Violet's eyes brightened as Becky continued.

"How about Saturday night I come over to watch the Pretty Princess Power Hour at your house." Becky knew it was rude to invite yourself over, but she couldn't risk Violet speaking with her mother. "I'll bring snacks and my limited edition collector's Pretty Princesses show cards."

Gasp!

"But you've worked so hard to keep those in such good condition; I'd hate it if something happened to them when you brought them over."

To be honest, Becky never really had time to enjoy them, since every time a new episode aired a villain would cause mischief.

"Don't worry, you're worth it Violet."

With that Violet gave Becky the biggest hug she could muster.

"You're my very best friend Becky."

"And you're mine Violet."

"Miss. Botsford?" the teacher called impatiently tapping a foot on the ground.

Becky released Violet and let her go. Becky knew she was risking a lot in promising to visit Violet when there were so many crimes that could happen Saturday, but it would be worth it. The city would be fine for just one hour. No matter what, she was going to spend that time with Violet.

Becky sat next to Tobey in the front row of desks. She better brace herself, the instructor looked ready to deliver a sermon.

"Do you two understand how much this project was worth?"

Becky's guilt caused her to divert her attention. Tobey, on the other hand, wasn't disturbed at all.

"I expected so much more out of you two."

"I already told you Monday I'm not wasting my time on such a ridiculous project." Tobey crossed his arms and glared through his glasses.

"Tobey, just because you don't feel like doing your homework doesn't mean you have an excuse not to do it." The teacher positioned himself in front of the desk Tobey sat at. "I told you that, like it or not, you're doing this project, and right now you're getting a zero; I don't think you're mother will approve."

Upon the teacher's last words Tobey's anger reached its peak.

"I think you're going to reconsider that grade," Tobey pulled his remote from his pocket and held a steady finger over the large red button. "Or I'm sure my robots can help you do the math."

Tobey laughed menacingly at his intended joke. Becky just tensed up as she worked out a route of escape so she could safely transform into WordGirl. Maybe when the robot arrived they'd both be so distracted that she could just slip out.

Swiftly there came a bright flash followed by a loud boom.

Outside a large storm had begun, flooding the ground with rain as well as Tobey's hopes of a robot attack. Becky eased back into her chair.

"I'm sure your mother will enjoy hearing about your threat as well."

"This isn't fair."

The teacher left Tobey to his sulking and stood before Becky.

"And what's your excuse young lady."

"I don't have one."

Both the teacher and Tobey stared at Becky.

"I didn't do the work so I deserve the zero."

No child ever accepted their failure. There was always some kind of animal involved or the child's ninth grandmother had died. . . Did Becky just say she deserved the zero?

"Well, then Miss. Botsford," the teacher was at a loss. "Are you okay with that?"

"No, but I didn't do the work so I really don't have a choice." Becky shrugged.

It wasn't like she skipped homework assignments all the time, so missing one wouldn't bring her 'A' in English down; it just wouldn't be as high. No big deal.

At least she knew her grade would be higher than the cheese levels of the city after letting Two-Brains go.

Becky smiled, another gesture that confused her teacher, at the thought of the mousy villain. She owed so much to that maniac, more than just his temporary freedom; he knew CPR.

"Miss. Botsford?"

Becky looked up at her teacher.

"Because of your honesty, how about I give you another assignment to make this up?"

"Really?!" Becky couldn't contain her excitement. This was such an awesome big deal; she could keep her high A!

"Now I can't give you all the points because you still forgot to do your project."

"That's okay, some points are better than none."

Tobey frowned.

"How come I don't get an alternate assignment?"

"Something tells me you wouldn't do it anyway Tobey." The teacher responded coldly before addressing Becky on what to do to make up her work. "Make a poster of your family tree. Include pictures and biographies of your family members. Go back as far as you can. Oh, and Tobey you may do the assignment as well."

The teacher waved the two outside the class for the remainder of their recess.

Becky smiled and jumped for joy outside the class as Tobey stood rather dejectedly.

"I can't believe I'm getting a second chance! Hurray!"

"Yes," Tobey was agitated by the joyous display. "Huzzah."

"Why are you so upset?" Becky stopped jumping. "We're getting a chance to make up our grade."

"Maybe I don't want to make up my grade." Tobey crossed his arms.

"So you're happy with a zero?" Becky couldn't help being put off by his statement.

"I didn't say I 'enjoyed' getting a zero, I said I didn't wish to do anything about it."

"But why not Tobey?"

"I don't want to do this project."

"What? Is it too hard for you?" Becky couldn't help but mock him a bit. "I can build fifty-foot robots but I can't glue pictures to paper."

Becky could see that Tobey was offended by what she just said, maybe even . . . hurt.

Tobey turned away from Becky and started down the hall calling back to her as he went.

"Forget the ice-cream, later."

Becky suddenly felt really, really bad. Here was her chance to slip out of this date thing and now she was feeling bad.

Why was he acting like that?

The project wasn't hard. All they had to do was glue pictures of their family to paper, write about them a little . . . but a broken family wouldn't make for a very interesting project.

"Tobey wait!"

Becky ran to catch up with the boy. She placed a hand on his shoulder when she was near enough to him. He stopped but pulled away from her grip.

"Tobey I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"Whatever," Tobey didn't face her. "I don't care."

"Yes you do," Becky protested grabbing Tobey and forcing him to turn around.

She was surprised by what she was confronted with.

Tears. Not flowing ones, but Tobey's eyes were wet. Had what she said really affected him that much?

Tobey looked away. He never made an attempt to clear his vision for he knew that would only cause the tears to run down his face, but he held his composure and made sure to appear angry.

"I'm sorry," Becky repeated as she released Tobey and also diverted her eyes. "I forgot you don't have a, a dad."

Those words felt so strange coming out of her mouth.

Pause.

"I don't need your sympathy. I don't feel like doing this project is all." Tobey finally blinked back the tears. "Now, if you don't mind . . ."

Tobey turned to go but was stopped by Becky's next words.

"I'm adopted."

Why had she said that?

Becky didn't know what she had said until it came flying out of her mouth. She wanted to make-up for hurting Tobey's feelings, but why did she say that. It seemed so out of place. And why did she care about Tobey's feelings?

"I don't really know my dad either," Becky spoke softly as she slowly understood the fears of her parents. "Actually I don't know my mother either, or if I'm really suppose to be here."

Tobey twisted around to Becky to watch her. She seemed to be having a hard time sharing this bit of information.

"I like to think my parents loved me very much and that maybe I'm living here because it's the best thing for everyone, but I can't be sure of that. And neither can my parents, I mean the Botsfords. I'm really lucky to have them as my parents because they love me so much."

She had never thought about her biological parents like this before. It never seemed like a thing she needed to explore within herself.

She was a Botsford, always had been. But looking at Tobey now, she realized how much the Botsfords had meant to her. A million light-years away were two people who had decided, for whatever reason, that they didn't want her, but the Botsfords did. They had taken her in like their real daughter and loved her just as much as they had their real son.

"You know what Tobey," Becky started to laugh off her statements. "I don't know what I'm talking about. Let's just go to recess and forget any of this. . ."

"Do you ever wonder if they left you because you weren't good enough?"

Silence.

"No, I'm sure my parents would have thought Word- wordy old me would have been good enough . . . Just like I'm certain your dad would love how smart you are." Not a very good save, but it didn't appear Tobey even noticed.

"I'm doing fine without my father, but . . ."

"But?"

"It wouldn't look so good to have a tree with a bunch of empty branches." Tobey laughed halfheartedly.

"Well at least you have one branch of your real family."

The two stood motionlessly in the empty hall for a moment. Neither spoke or made eye contact with the other. Both had a plethora of questions running through their heads and an overabundance of possible answers.

Becky broke the silence.

"I wonder if my parents did get rid of me because I wasn't good enough."

Tobey looked over with a considerate expression on his face.

"Maybe I was a burden to them. They just wanted a normal baby girl . . . and I'm just, difficult."

At this Tobey started to laugh. Becky was taken by surprise by his outburst. Usually people didn't laugh at the pain of others . . . then again, this was Tobey.

"Difficult," Tobey finally managed to choke out of his laughter. "Little Miss. Goody-Two-Shoes is worried that she would have been difficult to raise. My mother would love a daughter like you."

Becky shook her head.

"I think your mom loves you too much to trade you now."

"Trust me. Mother would love to swap me out for someone as amiable as you."

"Amiable?" Puzzlement painted across her face, Becky stared at Tobey.

Amiable wasn't the word he wanted to use. 'Good' or 'kind' might have served him better.

"Well, you know what I mean."

"That you think I'm pleasant and wonderful and ergo worthy of the affections of your mother."

Tobey blushed lightly upon this statement. He really hadn't meant to call Becky "amiable."

"No, you're not destructive is what I mean." Tobey grimaced at Becky's chuckles. "If you don't stop that laughter I'll have your house trampled by ten robots!"

"What? In the pouring rain?" Becky continued to laugh at Tobey's embarrassment as the two went about the rest of recess.

* * *

(A/N) Please R&R. Happy Labor Day and pray for the victims of 9/11.


	13. Memories

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters just the plot.

(A/N) I did not proofread this at all, I'll be honest. My fam and I just moved so I've been very busy with that. But I will check it later once I get the internet at my new house. And for the record, I did post this at work but my boss was aware of me doing so. I'm a hard worker. Blessings,

* * *

Sitting there thinking in the dark had been something he was always good at. In the dark there were no distractions, and the night hours warranted unprecedented solitude. He could search the deep corners of his mind, the parts that frightened him, without anyone knowing.

Tonight was one of those nights. He sat on the edge of his bed waiting for the appalling memories to come to him. The shame of being rejected, the thrill of falling in love, the pain of hearing his own heart break . . . and living here.

The past that defined him and confined him.

He rose and went to the window of his bedroom; the words of a familiar tune bearing themselves on his lips.

"My cherie amour, lovely as a summer day,  
My cherie amour, distant as the milky way,  
My cherie amour, pretty little one that I adore . . ."

The past had forced him to call this place home and the world was very content in carrying on without him. It really didn't need him; maybe not even want him . . .

"Maybe someday, you'll see my face among the crowd,  
Maybe someday, I'll share your little distant cloud . . ."

But soon it would.

A smile crossed his lips as he viewed his pale reflection in the glass. In a few days, he'd get a second chance to win his life back.

He felt a burning in his eyes as tears strained to make themselves present. All the momories. Why these memories. Why not? Why not.

Now was not the time to wallow in self pity.

"Tyesha!" the man hallowed and turned to leave the room.

He threw open the door and hurried down the halls of the large mansion that was bestowed upon him. He was on a hunt for his assistant. He passed all the luxuries money could afford, all the fineries of high living, art worth millions and furniture of aesthetic pleasure.

"Tyesha! Where are you!?!"

The man then heard her soft voice coming from the guest bedroom; a room in the opposite direction of his path.

"I'm down here, sir."

The man doubled back and quickened his pace until he stood in the room.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked as he watched his assistant rummage through the closet.

"You told me to use the finest red materials and I think these would qualify."

The man looked at his assistant hold up the spear sheets from the guest room. It unfolded to reveal a beautiful rose pattern with golden thread woven throughout its intricate design. It was a fabric even kings would envy.

"They are nice, but . . ." the man titled his head as if inspecting the worn out tires of an old car.

"Is there something wrong? I'm sorry, I can find better . . ."

"No, no, it's just," the man raised a finger to his lip. "I was thinking, it would be better to use material from Mother Earth."

"Pardon me . . .?" Tyesha wasn't sure what she was hearing.

"Follow Tyesha, I have been struck by inspiration and I wish not to lose it."

The man quickly exited the room, his assistant struggling to keep up with his pace as she attempted to fold the sheets. She didn't want to leave the room a mess, as that would contradict the instructions her boss had given her earlier.

When the man sent a quick glance behind him he was aggravated by what he saw.

"Will you drop that!"

"Oh," Tyesha was surprised by her boss' sudden outburst. She dropped the sheets on the ground and ran to catch up to him.

The two proceed through the empty mansion. The staff had all gone home for the night except for her. She was her boss' constant companion. They walked the elaborate halls until they came to the cellar door.

"Now what I'm going to show you, I want you to swear you will Never, tell another living soul about." He spoke in a whisper to add dramatic effect.

"I, I promise." Tyesha gulped, almost frighten about what he could be hiding.

The man slowly opened the door for his assistant to enter; standing aside as she proceeded with caution. Downstairs was filled with items she had never seen before.

"Oh my." Tyesha's decent into the cellar was a slow one. She gazed upon the items with wonder and a hint of fear. How had her boss come to own such things? And how had she not noticed it after seven years of working with him?

The man smiled at his assistant's amazement. He followed behind her.

"Sir, what is this stuff?"

"I'm so glad you asked. They're things from Mother Earth." He smiled brightly.

The items ranged from kitchen utensils to furniture, all of which Tyesha had never seen the likes of before. He hopped up next to his friend, giving wild explanations for everything he saw; Tyesha doing her best to keep up. He was like a child in a candy store.

"And this item here is called a blender. People on Earth use it to liquefy solid foods. And this is a telephone, I've seen it used by people to talk to others that had one. And this thing . . . I have no idea what it's called, but it carries your waste away from you."

"Sir, we have one of those," Pause. "It's called a toilet."

"Yeah, but this Earth toilet doesn't have buttons or a seat warmer, so it's still primitive and cool."

"Uh, sir?" Tyesha raised her concerns as her boss continued to dance around the room. "I don't mean to interrupt." Tyesha had never seen her boss act in such a manner. It was as if these things had somehow changed who he was.

"What is it?" he sighed.

"Well, it's not that I'm not very fascinated by your . . . collection, because I am, I mean I've never seen such things before. They're very lovely; it's just that, well. . ."

"Will you get on with it already?" His patience was wearing thin.

"I don't see how this is going to get us ready for WordGirl's arrival, sir."

The man faced his assistant and frowned. The two stood in silence for a moment.

"You know how I told you not to tell another living soul about this place?"

"Yes, and I still promise I won't, but. . ."

"Good, because I'm going to have you fire the whole staff so I can replace every object in the house with this stuff." The man watched his assistant's shocked face. "Don't want to break High Law by having them interacting with this stuff."

The assistance's mouth almost dropped to the floor as her boss's grin ran ear to ear.

"From what we know," the man continued as Tyesha tried to collect her thoughts. "WordGirl doesn't remember Lexicon and therefore would only be comfortable with things from Mother Earth."

"But sir . . ."

"I want her room covered in fine red Earthen materials and only her favorite foods prepared."

"Yes of course, but sir . . ."

"I also want her room to be painted before her arrival."

"But Sir . . ."

"No buts. You're from Lexicon, can't you think up a better conjunction?" He laughed as he made his way up the stairs again, but Tyesha's calls stopped him.

"You can't do that."

"What," he wheeled around with a rather discontented look. "I gave you an order I expect it carried out."

"With all due respect sir," Tyesha gathered her inner strength. She needed to be careful with the words she choice; these were dangerous waters she was treading upon. "You would be the cause of many Thesaurians losing their jobs."

"Yes," he looked around trying to see her point. "I'm aware of that."

"But sir, don't you think your acting a little too rash."

"Didn't I say not to use that word."

"Yes, but... I mean 'still', people will be without work and they have been so loyal. WordGirl's not going to be comfortable without any staff here to care for her."

Tyesha's boss slowly descended the steps. He stood over Tyesha.

"WordGirl's from Earth, and I am going to make this place as close to home for her as possible. Is that okay with you?"

"Sir, she needs to get use to . . ."

"Lexicon, I know. Here's the clincher: We're kidnapping her from her home, thrusting a past she wasn't aware of on her and expecting her to get over her fears before the 'King of Britannica' keels. I think the least we could do, is make this place a little less like a prison and more like a home. Capiche?"

Tyesha diverted her eyes.

"We can't change what it is sir."

The man clenched his fist and looked away from his assistant.

"This isn't a prison, but . . . yet, no matter what we do, it will always feel like one."

"Funny," the man said letting his anger subside. "I was told it's a safe-house."

_o_

Becky stared coldly at the teacher as he began the day's math lesson.

The whole ordeal at the club was still weighing heavily on her mind, especially since she wasn't really listening to the lesson. She could only imagine how awful it must have been for Scoops.

There was also the issue that someone was still out there planning another trap for her. Whoever they were, odds were they wouldn't give up until they reached their goal.

Becky sighed. What could she do? She hadn't the faintest who would do this to her and she still had other villains to focus her attention on. Hopefully Dr. Two-Brains would take a break for a while. He seemed a little upset by the episode Tuesday as well.

At the back of the class, an unlikely train of thought was taking place.

Tobey found himself staring at the back of Becky's head. He hadn't expected her to share that bit of information about herself. In fact, he didn't expect her to care about his feelings at all. Tobey was indeed baffled. His relationship with Becky was to be one of rivalry in which he was always the victor, but today. . . Becky was more of an equal. Someone who understood something he thought only he could fully comprehend. Not to mention she was willing to ask him for help when she sought to behave mischievously.

To some degree Becky was . . .sigh. . . intriguing. Tobey was glad no one could hear his thoughts; the thoughts that had been harassing him since the events that transpired in his house Monday afternoon.

She's been nice if not inviting to him. Even after trying to destroy her house, she always attempted to speak with him and be friendly. Why? He never went out of his way to be nice to her. After his defeat at her home, when WordGirl saved the day, he had always been at odds with her. The chance to outsmart her always gave him delight and he reveled in knowing his robots could put to shame anything she could do. Art, camping, elections, Tobey was better than Becky and had to prove it . . . just like he had with everyone else.

But after that conversation, even if he beat her at everything, it wouldn't feel much like a victory. She was different; no other word better described her. Grant it, she wasn't better than him. Only WordGirl had managed to outwit him time and time again, but Becky was a person he could match wits with.

Admittedly, Tobey was a little nervous now about sharing ice-cream with Becky. At first he had done so just to annoy her and maybe find out why she had asked for the voice machine, but now. . .

He couldn't back out. To back out meant he'd lose to his feelings and Tobey hated to lose.

Just then Becky turned in her chair to face him. She had felt that someone was watching her and was a bit surprised that it was Tobey.

The boy quickly sent his gaze downward at his math book to hide the embarrassment coloring his face.

Becky just rolled her eyes and faced the front of the class again. The only thing that could be worse than Tobey crushing on WordGirl would be if he started crushing on her secret identity too. Hopefully that wasn't what she was seeing. She had enough on her plate right now. . .

As the end of the school day came, Becky remained seated in her desk as the bell rang. Many of the students were out the door before the teacher could wish them a safe and happy weekend.

Violet approached Becky with a large smile and high hopes for Saturday.

"Ready to head home Becky?" Violet beamed.

Becky smiled back at her friend. How nice it would be to walk with her best . . .

"No, Becky will be enjoying my company for the afternoon," Tobey forced his way between the two friends. "So why don't you just saunter on aimlessly alone."

"Hey! Don't talk to her like that." Becky protested as she rose to confront Tobey.

"Fine," Tobey didn't wish to get Becky upset before they went out; probably wouldn't be the best. "I'm sorry, er. . ."

"Violet." Becky informed him.

"Violet," Tobey's lip curled on her name as if he had swallowed a lemon.

Violet allowed a confused expression to take her features. Violet grabbed hold of Becky's arm and lead her a few paces away from Tobey.

"Why are you two hanging out?" She sounded almost hurt that Becky was choosing to spend time with Tobey over her. He was such a bad child. Violet just couldn't understand why anyone would want to share his company.

"I'll tell you later Vi," weak smile. "See you tomorrow."

Becky left with Tobey leaving Violet with a slew of questions.

_o_

Across town, Sally Botsford began packing up her day's work. She placed several case files back in the cabinet and straightened up her desk. Everything seemed to be in order, so she was ready to head home early; a fine reward after a hard day of comparing notes.

Sally had been working all day reviewing the case she was to help proceed in Florida. It appeared to be an open and shut case; all that was needed was a trial to convict the villain and a verdict. And with the heap of evidence stacked up, it looked like this trail would be over in a matter of days. She could enjoy the remaining two weeks with her family.

Well, most of her family anyway.

Sally stood in front of her desk staring down at the photos she kept on her work station. There was a picture of her two children posing; bright smiles. Sally reached out and took the frame in her hand. Looking at it now, she couldn't believe she would one day be gazing at a distant happiness. This moment in time was supposed to last forever, maybe get a little rocky through the teen years, but not tear apart at the seams.

Becky wasn't acting like herself.

That Monday when her husband had told their children about the trip, Sally had expected the children to be thrilled. It was going to be a month away from work where the family could spend some time together. But Becky didn't seem to share in Sally's vision. Becky wanted to stay behind. Sally had toyed with the idea that it had been Becky's mysterious past that enticed the girl to want to stay, but lately newer, and darker, theories had been invading her mind.

What if Becky didn't like being with the Botsfords? Becky's behavior Tuesday was so upsetting to her. Why had Becky acted that way? Sally had reasoned that her daughter was out of sorts due to her sickness, but the feeling of rejection kept welling up inside her. Even as Becky lay sick in bed, she was constantly asking her parents to leave her alone to 'rest.' Maybe Becky really was worrying about her real parents.

Sally could feel her eyes tearing up. She quickly placed the picture down and wiped the offending drops away. They proved to be more resilient. Sally found herself crying softly into her hand. They were foolish ideas to have, but they infested her thoughts and fueled her fears.

Outside Sally's office door stopped Claire MacCallister. She had come to share some news with Sally, but upon seeing her co-worker's fragile state, she lingered at the door. She waited several moments before gently knocking.

Sally was surprised by the noise. She swiftly cleared her face before facing her visitor.

"Oh, Claire, hello," Sally sniffed as she put on a smile. "I was, I didn't expect anyone to come in here."

Claire watched in silence as Sally moved around her office collecting a few papers to look as if she were busy.

"I was just packing to head home early; I have so much to get ready for. . . not that you didn't know."

"Well," Claire spoke with caution. "Since you're done early, perhaps you have a minute to talk."

Claire gestured for Sally to take a seat at her desk while Claire pulled up one of the spear chairs in the office. Sally did as she was told. Claire didn't speak but waited for the District Attorney to open up.

"Claire I don't know what's wrong." Sally looked down at her desk and raised a hand to her forehead. "I feel like I'm losing my daughter."

"I might be able to relate," Claire shifted her weight in the chair. "Tobey's not necessarily the easiest child to raise." Sally did not shift in her position. Claire sighed realizing that Sally's troubles did not stem from Becky's disobedience. "But something tells me Becky's behavior isn't what's upsetting you."

"Like I said, I don't know."

Tears began dropping from Sally and onto the calendar taped to the desk. Claire watched as Saturday began to wash out.

"It has to be something Sally."

"It's because . . . I'm not her mother and, it just bothers me to think that maybe, maybe Becky wants her real parents." Sally felt her throat tighten. It was hard to speak those words.

"And why is that a problem?" Claire's voice was straightforward.

Sally had just bore a deep part of her hurting soul and her co-worker didn't seem to see a problem with her pain. Sally stared in disbelief as her colleague continued.

"Just because she wants to know her real parents doesn't mean she loves you any less."

Accurate, but still a hard pill to swallow.

"She's not mad at you Sally."

"How do you know that?"

"You're the person who chose to love her and care for her when her real parents stepped out. If anything, she's grateful to you."

Pause.

"She was going to want to know sooner or later," Sally concluded as she looked up. "I'm worried she'll be mad at us when we don't have an answer."

"She maybe mad at first, but it is just a fact she is going to have to accept. And if you raised her right, which I'm sure you did, she shouldn't have trouble moving on."

"Thanks Claire."

"Don't thank me quite yet." Claire rose to her feet. "I was actually sent down here to pick up your remaining case files for the next week."

Sally blinked. Why would she need to give up her cases? She had to prepare for Chuck's trial Tuesday and The Amazing Rope Guy was trying to get an appeal in which she needed to pass on her collected data. Claire spoke up again before Sally had a chance to protest.

"They've asked that you be set out to Florida as soon as possible."

"What?!"

"Some evidence from the case has gone missing, and there's reason to believe more might disappear."

Sally couldn't believe what she was hearing. She stood from her desk and glared over at her co-worker, as if Claire had somehow contributed to the disappearance.

"How can evidence go missing?! Are the Florida prosecutors losing their minds!"

Claire held her hands up and waved them as a signal to calm down.

"Now, now Sally. . ."

"No Claire, this is ridiculous."

"They think the evidence may have been stolen." Claire's words stopped Sally's rant. "And based on the nature of the crime more might go missing. They want to get the case over with as fast as possible so they can convict the defendant before any more crucial evidence goes missing."

"That just makes this case all the more difficult." Sally sank back into her chair. "Do they have any leads on who took the evidence?"

"Not at this time, but they want to say it was an unknown accomplice of the defendant."

Sally just shook her head in disbelief. Now not only was she going to break up her family for the summer, but she was going to have to do it a week ahead of schedule.

_o_

For the majority of the trip over, Becky and Tobey walked in silence. It seemed unnatural to pick up on the conversation they were having earlier due to its subject matter, but it was queer to remain quiet for three blocks.

"So," Becky broke the silence. "You seem to like ice-cream a lot."

"What kind of conversation starter is that?" Tobey sneered at Becky's remark.

"Well it's better than walking in silence."

"I was enjoying the stillness of this moment." Tobey smiled at Becky's obvious annoyance. "But seriously, why didn't you do your homework today; you being such a goody-goody and all."

"Please don't call me that." Becky glared at the menacing troublemaker beside her. It was bad enough he had to drag her out here. "Why are we even going on this escapade, Tobey?" Becky crossed her arms as the ice-cream shop came into view.

"Hmm," Tobey looked forward as well. "We're going out for ice-cream."

"I know; that's not what I'm asking about." She was a bit irked.

"No, you were asking about an es-ca-peed?"

"An escapade; that means an adventure that someone goes on or is involved with. In this case I was mocking you in calling this trip an adventure." Becky answered with a grin she hid from Tobey. It was nice stumping him on a word.

"Hmm." Tobey was clearly displeased by the statement but couldn't think of a comeback at the moment.

As they made it to the shop they both placed their orders and sat on the benches out front. The recent bickering was hushed by a mouth full of frozen dessert as the two ate quietly.

The afternoon had proven to be a good one as the clouds only loomed about without dropping rain. It was not too hot nor was there too much humidity in the air. It was a truely serene environment to find oneself in. A perfect environment for the two children outside the ice-cream shop to just think.

Tobey was about halfway done with his cone when he spoke.

"So what do you plan to do over the summer?"

"I don't really know yet."

"How don't you know?" Tobey raised an eyebrow. "Are you planning to spend the next month on the streets?"

Becky looked at Tobey and then to the store directly across from the ice-cream shop. She hadn't given it much thought, but it was now mandatory to figure out what she was going to do while her family was gone. She wanted to tell all her friends that she was with her parents so they wouldn't bother the Botsford residence while she acted as WordGirl all summer, but now that Tobey knew she was still in the area, she was going to have to compose a better alibi.

"Well," she couldn't say she'd be living by herself in the WordGirl secret hideout "I'm planning on staying with, some friends of the family."

Tobey took another lick of cream before responding.

"That statement holds about as much weight as dental floss; be honest, you're not staying with friends, I had to lie to Violet's mother, remember?"

Becky sighed.

"It's none of your business where I'm staying this summer."

"Fine," it was apparent Tobey hadn't given up, yet he didn't press the matter further. "But if you ever get bored hiding out . . ."

"Are you inviting me over this summer?"

"Maybe, yes." Tobey fidgeted his feet a bit as Becky rested her eyes on him. "I just don't want you to be alone all summer . . . That's dangerous." That last statement was quickly added.

Becky could quiet interpret what it was Tobey was saying. Why had he taken such a sudden intrest in her person. They weren't really friends so this all seemed out of place with a hint of deja-vu. WordGirl had once spend the day with Tobey and, amazingly, had enjoyed it. Tobey wasn't half bad sometimes but he would always ruin his likable nature by acting out with robots. If he'd learn to control his temper, perhaps a friendship would be possible between them . . .nah.

Soon Becky's gaze became too much for the boy to bear, so he quickly changed the subject.

"You know," he pointed to her ice-cream. "That's WordGirl's favorite flavor."

"Looks like we've got something in common." Becky looked back out across the street again as Tobey breathed a sigh of relief; a sound that didn't go unnoticed.

Becky grinned devilishly at the opportunity that presented itself.

"You must really like WordGirl in order to know her favorite ice-cream flavor."

Tobey could not suppress the sudden blush in his cheeks. Becky merely smiled returning to her icy treat.


	14. Top Hat

Disclaimer- I don't own WordGirl or her universe, just the plot and supporting characters. The lyrics from last chapter belong to Stevie Wonder.

Feel free to review.

* * *

Sally spent the rest of the work day getting ready to present the Florida case and book a flight for the next morning. She couldn't be more upset with the current situation than she was now. She threw files into her suitcase without care to their fragile material. She was beginning to hate this job.

Sally's rampage on the papers did not go unobserved. Claire had returned to Sally's office at the end of the day to check up on her. The state of their last conversation just made her feel obligated to watch out for Sally as much as she could.

"I don't think ruining the files will help you win that case any faster." Claire muttered sarcastically as she entered the office.

"Yeah," Sally continued her actions till she was finished. "But it sure makes me feel good."

"I won't argue you there." Claire came along side her co-worker and handed the flustered attorney two small bits of paper.

"What's this?" Sally took the gift and looked it over.

"They're two tickets to that horse show in town. I figured your daughter and her friend might enjoy those more than my son would."

"This is really nice, but I couldn't . . ."

"Don't worry, I got them for free. Jennifer volunteers there and thought I might want them."

"Thanks, Becky will love these."

Sally placed the tickets into her suitcase with care and then closed the luggage up. She gave her farewells and began the drive home.

Sally pulled into the driveway of her house. She turned the car off. She undid her seatbelt. She sighed as she acknowledged she was coming home late. This process had become so routine to her after years of working for the city.

Sally sat staring at her house wondering how her family would take the news of her leaving in the morning. This was not the fun filled summer she had wanted. She did feel better after her talk with Claire however. Maybe things would get better.

Sally took hold of her suitcase. She exited the car. She approached the door and removed the house key from her purse. She opened the door.

The next thing Sally saw was completely out of her normal routine.

"Give it up WordGirl and FluenceBoy!"

Sally watched as her husband chased her two children around the living room. Both Becky and TJ had towels wrapped around their necks as Tim wore an old top hat he must have found in the attic. Bob was also part of the horseplay, waving his hands about as if he were in trouble.

"What's going on here?" Sally asked as she placed her stuff down by the door.

"We're playing the Adventures of WordGirl," Tim answered in his best announcer voice. "Becky suggested we play after she got home today."

"Best suggestion she's had in a while," TJ laughed. "I'm WordGirl's new sidekick FluenceBoy."

Bob squeaked in disapproval, but was ignored by all, save Becky who only offered him a sympathetic nod.

"Well, well." Sally smiled. It had been too long since she last saw her family like this. She kicked her shoes off at the door and entered the living room. "And who are you dear?"

"I'm the evil Dr. Top-Hat," he smiled. "I couldn't find a mouse brain to attach to my head."

"And I'm very happy for that," Sally sent a few glances around the room. "I don't see a secret hideout anywhere." She was ready to join in the game and enjoy this moment of happiness before her job stole it away.

"Oh yeah!" TJ shouted. "Can we build one?!"

"Go get the sheets off your bed and we'll build a tent in the living room." Sally laughed at her son's enthusiasm.

TJ was up the stairs in a shot while Becky went over to grab Bob.

"Come on Bob; let's get some pillows for the hideout."

Sally watched her daughter head upstairs. She smiled openly as she came alongside her husband.

"Did Becky really start the game?"

"Yep, she said she wanted to spend time with us before we left. I told you she was fine." Tim gave his wife a reassuring kiss on the forehead before walking into the kitchen. "If we're going to build a tent we're going to need string. I think we have some under the sink."

"Tim?" Sally slowly entered the kitchen. "I have to leave in the morning."

"Oh, you have a case in the morning?" Tim asked as he reached the string from under the counter cupboard.

"No. I'm leaving for Florida on the ten o'clock flight."

"What!?" Tim smacked his head on the sink as he tried to rise up in confusion. "Ouch!"

"Are you okay?" Sally rushed to help her husband from under the sink.

"You said we weren't leaving until next Saturday." Tim was clearly angry at the news.

"Things have changed in the case, so they're starting the trial early. Only I have to go."

"That's not what they said . . !"

"I know, I know. . ."

"You're not supposed to go now!"

"Things have changed."

Tim sighed in frustration as he rubbed the small knot on his head.

"Please don't tell the kids yet," Sally spoke. "I want to have some fun with them before I tell them I'm leaving."

"Okay," Tim agreed as the sound of the kids' footfalls could be heard. "Let's get out there and build a tent."

_o_

"Movie Night!"

A shout echoed through the narrow halls, but it was soon followed by the loud hoops-and-hollers of over thirty-seven students at Université des Études Sociologiques or, in English, the University of Sociological Studies. The residents of the men's dorm on the south side of the campus had made it their practice to share their findings on the last Friday of the month. Due to one student's over enthusiasm, the night got its name "Movie Night."

The students rushed to the auditorium on campus holding their footage for the week. One such student was Emmanuel, Em for short. He had been studying how people in groups respond to large events in life such as weddings, funerals, and getting the hiccups, but he wasn't going to present his findings this week. He was bringing his roommate's. The poor guy had worked so hard to get it finished in time for the showing, but then had to leave. Em, wanting to be a good friend, offered to show it in his roommate's stead.

The auditorium was full of the usual observers; the class clowns and low scorers who enjoyed seeing others fail and the few super nerdy guys who leaped at the chance to share their work. Em's roommate was just that, a nerd. He spent way too many hours in the observation towers and too little time anywhere else. But that is why Em had to do this for him. Movie Night was the only time his roommate broke out of work mode and interacted with the 'audience.' He needed this time away and his recent work on following WordGirl's misadventures made him a favorite among the other students. Because she was from Lexicon it gave Em's roommate a chance to speak with his subject without breaking High Law; a perk no one else could risk.

Em took his place in the second row along with the rest of the small group. One of the students rose and went up on stage. The crowd cheered as this student was the host of the films. As he stood before the associated students, the curtain behind him raised to reveal a large projection screen.

"Tonight," the man called over the excitement. "We'll start with a fan favorite, the study of one of Earth's super heroes, WordGirl!"

The audience gave another loud cheer as the man on stage tried again to speak over them.

"After that we'll be watchin' the 'Misfortunes of People Trapped on Elevators' as we look at Kyle's findings on phobias. So get your film ready Kyle."

Em jumped out of his seat with avid hope for his roommate's work. Em made his way to the back of the theatre and up into the booth. He handed the film to the student working the old projection machine.

Back on stage, the host addressed the audience one more time before the show started.

"Now remember guys, what happens here, stays here."

The audience silenced a bit at these words knowing full well what that meant. A true Sociologist never shared findings until it was perfected, which none of this was. Information was still raw and couldn't be proven. These students were gathered in secret. Not to mention, this film involved a fellow student interacting with the test subject.

The film started and the students cheered at the sound of their fellow student and the film's narrator. They loved his work. It was just like watching a movie, only it involved real people in real situations. The narrator had been studying the city's reaction and dependence on their resident heroine. Through countless hours of research he had made ground breaking discoveries in Earthen hero-worship.

But somewhere along the way the narrator found himself intrigued by the object of his subjects' affections. He had watched her for years using the school's otherworldly technology and one day decided to make his presence known to the girl. A bold move, but due to her heritage the narrator's breech of High Law was avoided; though his more resent interaction with WordGirl's enemies might not be, thus the secrecy of Movie Night.

As the film played out, another more sinister plot was performed in the school's main office. The president of the university had received a rather unwelcome visitor in his office.

Mr. Auguste Comte looked up from his paper work to see that Adler had somehow found his way into his office.

"How did you get in here?" Mr. Comte rose from his chair to confront the intruder.

Adler waved a hand for the president to remain seated; an action that went in vain.

"Your security staff was so kind," Adler took a seat in an empty chair in front of the elder's desk. "They willingly showed me the way in." Adler smiled.

If looks could kill, Adler would have died in that moment, but instead he only received a glare from the man before him.

"Please Mr. Comte," Adler cooed in delight. "Why don't you sit with me and we can chat about things. My name is . . ."

"I know who you are and I want nothing to do with you." Mr. Comte came around his desk just as Adler got to his feet to face him. "I want you out of this school, now."

"I'm afraid you can't request that Mr. Comte." Adler's cheery disposition vanished.

"This is my campus and I can have you arrested for coming here without my permission. High Law doesn't allow . . ."

"Just for the record old man," Adler brought himself within inches of Comte's face. "I am the High Law."

"No, you're not." Comte spoke.

Comte wasn't intimidated by Adler in the least, and, even though he was old, he had no fear in his abilities to handle someone as reckless as the man before him.

"Now you listen to me Adler," Comte locked eyes. "This school has no prejudice with either Britannica or Lexicon. We're a neutral state and we accept students from anywhere as agreed upon by the Queen of your planet."

"Ex-Queen," Adler spat. "And I'm not here to pick a fight with you over your school's diversity policies. I don't care if this whole half-witted institution was run by Lexiconian monkeys. I'm here for information."

"No," Comte didn't even need to think about the words he just heard. "You're getting nothing from us."

"Need I remind you . . ."

"You have nothing to remind. Get out of my school."

Comte watched as Adler paused a moment to breath deep and straighten his jacket. The Britannican made his way to the door, but stopped when his hand was atop the handle.

"I'll get my information," Adler locked the door. "And you are going to give it to me."

Mr. Comte was taken aback by this action. Comte was trapped for the time being. If he tried to retaliate it would take too long for someone to get inside the room; best to play along for the sake of his students.

Comte had known about this man due to Adler's elevated position on Britannia. From what Comte could remember, Adler served as one of the King's chief advisers and would have done so for about twelve years now. . .

That must be it!

With the king of Britannica nearing his end and no heir to the throne, all his advisers would be out trying to find a way to please the king. Adler was planning to rule Britannica, but there was no way Comte was going to let that happen through means of his school. If this neutral university helped either planet's rulers, it would almost be a declaration of their loyalty.

"There's no way for you to achieve your goal here Adler." Comte said still holding his ground.

"I think you're mistaken." Adler grinned helping himself to the chair behind Mr. Comte's desk. "WordGirl."

"What about her?" Comte asked not seeing any connection.

"I think you're aware of Lexicon's current civil dispute."

"Adler I don't see what you're aiming at. If you want Britannica I suggest you go back and suck up to your superior." Comte came around the desk and glared down at his visitor. "WordGirl maybe from Lexicon, but she has nothing to do with its civil war or its war against your planet."

"Oh, but she does,"

Adler's smirk was nowhere to be found as he reached into his jacket's inner pocket. He placed a small circular contraption on the desk that opened up to reveal a holographic image of legal documents.

"I'm sure you know that it is illegal to have contact with members of this planet Mr. Comte, and WordGirl happens to be in direct violation of this law."

"She's a child and doesn't know anything about High Law. . ."

"Ah, but you do Mr. Comte," Adler rose and advanced on his target causing the elder gentleman to step back. "And if I'm not mistaken, so do some of your students."

"Leave them out of this."

"I have no choice but to have you arrested and have your institution shut down for harboring alien presences on Mother Earth."

Panic struck Comte at the mention of his school being closed. For even though he wasn't in connection with Britannica or Lexicon, he was still subject to High Law.

"We're a neutral state. It is not our fault that a Lexiconian crash landed in our study field."

"But it is your fault that the war torn planet of Lexicon didn't receive word that she was here."

"We didn't even know she was here until she became a superhero, and even then we weren't sure. Lexiconians don't usually fly around. And I still don't see how she will help you be king." Comte spat.

"It's fine Mr. Comte," Adler placed a 'concerned' hand on Comte's shoulder. "I don't want to get your school closed, I just want some information."

"No, you plan on forcing me to give you information to keep my school. That's blackmail." Comte moved away from Adler's touch.

"I know," Adler went back to the device on the desk and waved his hand through the image. His motion flipped the pages of the document until it landed on the page he desired it to stop on. There was the picture Adler had earlier along with some other information. "It's my wish that you would allow me to speak with the student who studies this child."

Comte examined the picture before speaking.

"I've never seen this child in my student's research. And what does that even have to do with WordGirl."

"I think you have seen him. He's around WordGirl, so who studies her?" Adler's patience was wearing thin.

Doing this was against everything that Comte had established his school to do. The information they gathered was to be anonymous and used only to better humanity. Adler was only going to use it to better himself and who knew what would become of this boy. But if Adler were to tell that his school never did anything about WordGirl's presences then . . . Comte had to find a way out of this.

"I'm afraid the student's research is not for public use Adler."

"I don't car-"

"And being that boy is a native of Earth, Adler, I'm sure a future king such as yourself wouldn't dare break two laws at once." Comte was quite proud of himself. "As I've said before, there is nothing you can do here to help boost your standings with the king. Not with WordGirl and not with this boy. So I suggest you leave."

Adler continued to look smug as he waved his hand through the images. Adler knew he needed to take a different approach. Mr. Comte was a stubborn old fool, but one who had obviously studied the law. Playing the WordGirl card was still his best hand.

"Don't you think it's funny," Adler smiled stopping the image on Lexicon. "That a whole civil war can start right in the middle of an existing war?"

"Université des Études Sociologiques has nothing to do with the war between Lexicon and Britannica, you know that."

"Yes, yes we've established that, but think about it."

Comte couldn't see what Adler was trying to get at.

"So what Adler? Their fighting over the loss of the royal family, an event I think they can thank your planet for. I really don't see what that boy has to do with this. Can't you see I can't give you what you want?"

Comte's anger was beginning to rise, but Adler kept his cool.

"That civil war started about, what, ten years ago?"

Comte did not answer, but defiantly stared at Adler.

"How old do you think WordGirl is?"

Comte raised an eye brow.

"What are you talking about?"

Adler grinned as the image in the holographic device began to replay a small piece of Lexicon's history.

"Lexicon had been fighting a losing battle against my planet for decades, but our king saw a quick remedy to that,"

Images of ships swamping Lexicon's asteroid belt and colliding with defense ships could be seen. Countless ships were lost as were the lives inside. The Britannican ships broke through Lexicon's forces and made their way to the planet. Once inside the planet's atmosphere, the Britannicans destroyed all they could and allowed small groups to enter into the planet's strongholds.

"One such group was sent to kill the king and his heirs so that Lexicon would be thrown into complete anarchy,"

The palace was invaded and over taken by Britannican forces. The King and Queen were slaughtered along with their three sons and royal aids. The kingdom was thrown into pandemonium. The Lexiconians didn't surrender, but images of citizens fighting for their livelihood flooded the holographic screen.

"But the people understood that any government was better than no government. They fought together to save their kingdom and then, tuned to fight each other over leadership,"

Lexiconians split and took armies fighting against any ideas that differed from their own. Families were pitted against each other and whole countries destroyed. But images of the divided groups working together appeared every time the Britannicans came to conquer them. A deadly affair that seemed to have no end.

"Rumors spread through their kingdom that the betrothed daughter, and would be princess, of the king's advisor was still alive. Lexiconians would end their dispute if she were brought back to their planet. Thus giving Lexicon the unity to possibly fight Britannica."

Adler stood from his chair and returned the holographic image back to the boy's picture.

"Tell me Mr. Comte," Adler spoke with a leer. "How old do you think WordGirl is?"

Comte froze as realization sunk in. Adler continued.

"Old enough to be that lost princess," Adler walked past Comte and around the office. "A fact you neglected when she started that 'superhero' business? A fact that could have ended Lexicon's civil war earlier?" Adler stopped his pacing and watched Comte. "You see, sir. This war isn't going to stay on the other side of the galaxy for long. It's coming here and I'm willing to wager it will be here shortly after the king's death. Your school is going to have to pick sides, but when Lexicon finds out what you've done, they'll pin you with treason."

Mr. Comte sighed and raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I guess you're giving me a choice?"

"You help me track this boy and when I'm king, I'll guarantee you, and your school, safety."

"And if I don't."

Pause.

"Then I can't promise you protection when Lexicon finds out about this. And trust me, they will find out."

Mr. Comte's heart sank. Adler was right. If Lexicon found out that one of the neutral states had been hiding one of their own, and the princess no less, there would be no telling what they would do. Not to mention it would put all other neutral states up for questioning by both Britannican and Lexiconian militaries. There would be no planets of peace left if the High Law wasn't honored . . .

What could he do?

"Join Britannica's finest Mr. Comte. As you can see, I'm already several steps ahead of any other suitors to the throne."

"And, what about WordGirl?"

Adler frowned at the sensitive tone the old man gave.

"She's nothing more than an object of war. It's nothing personal I have against her, it's just how wars are won."

Comte lowered his head. There was no gimmick he could think up to save his school or WordGirl's life. Inevitably the war would come to Earth, but he had always wished it would never be during his time.

"Why do you want this boy?" Comte laid his sad eyes on the picture. "What does he have to do with all of thi-"

"Nothing," Adler made his way back in front of the desk. "There's just an old debt I owed his father, so I thought I'd pay it back to the son."

"The boy's from Earth Adler. Why were you even associated with his father?"

"Just get a camera on him."

"Can. . . can do." Comte stood and went to the door. "The student that studies WordGirl," Comte swallowed hard. "He's not here, but. . . I can take you to his, work station and you can. . . use the equipment." Comte opened the door cautiously and left.

"Thank you." Adler reached for the imaging device and stared hard at the image. "Don't worry Theodore," Adler spoke to the picture. "You're son will pay back that debt quite nicely."

_o_

Laughter echoed through the halls of the Botsford home. The evil Dr. Top-Hat had been stopped and the super duo was able to relax in the safety of their hideout, of course after returning the hostage to his home.

"Mom this tent is great!" TJ shouted as he sat back on one of the pillows his sister brought down. "How did you learn to do this?"

"Well," Sally crawled through the opening. "I use to make tents like these when I was a little girl. I always set them up in my bedroom though."

"I think it looks better in the living room." Becky sat beside her mother as she looked around. The sheets of the tent were held up by ropes tied to various items in the room. This caused the tent to have a rather original shape and interior. There were small niches to hide in and crawl around. "This really is nice."

"Not as nice as the family inside," Tim's voice came from outside the tent along with a few squeaks from Bob. "Have enough room for two more?"

"Sure dad."

Mr. Botsford and the family pet joined the three in the tent. The family maneuvered around each other until they were comfortable with five inhabits under the sheet.

"Whoa," Tim spoke up. "It's pretty hot under here."

"It's just because there's so many of us under here." Becky noted as she pulled Bob up onto her lap to make room.

The family enjoyed light conversation for a while before TJ made the offhand comment about WordGirl.

"WordGirl's hideout is a thousand times better than anything we could create."

Tim mused over the comment before he responded.

"WordGirl might have cooler things than we do, but I doubt she has funner family than we do."

Becky felt a ping of some anonymous emotion. She wasn't sure why her father's words made her feel that way, but they seemed to have some effect on her. Maybe it was the usage of the word "funner" . . . whatever it was, Becky decided this would be the best time to alleviate her parents of their fears.

"Mom, dad?" Becky's soft speech caught her parents' attention and even silenced TJ. "I love you guys very much. Thanks for being the best parents."

Tim could feel the tears fillings his eye.

"Oh, Becky," the father leaned over and hugged his daughter tightly. "We love you too."

"Uh, thanks dad."

Sally smiled as she realized that Claire was right. Becky was grateful, but there were going to be times she wondered about her real parents. Those people are a part of Becky, but they couldn't replace who she and Tim were in their daughter's eyes. They were her parents. Becky just needed more time in the city to see that.

"I love you so much Becky." Sally restored the embrace on Becky as Tim let go.

TJ only sighed.

"Can we stop with the sappy hugs now? Gross."

"Not quite yet son." Mr. Botsford reached over and took his son into an embrace to which TJ stuck out his tongue.

As the family finished their moment of bonding Sally spoke up again. This seemed like the best time to inform her kids that she would be leaving. It was going on ten o'clock and if she hesitated any longer the kids would be asleep.

Unfortunately, the news wasn't received as well as she would have hoped.

"What do you mean you're leaving tomorrow?!" Becky almost knocked Bob out of her lap.

"Yeah!" TJ got up on his knees to get eye level with his mom. "You said we were going together. Does that mean I get out of school sooner?"

"No TJ, it means you'll have to spend the week without me."

"What!?" both children shouted at the same time.

"Don't worry kids," Tim piped in. "The week'll fly by so fast you won't even notice the time apart. And you'll be having fun with Violet, Becky." Tim's smile wasn't contagious as the kids only continued to whine.

* * *


	15. Saturday Headlines

Disclaimer-I don't own WordGirl and co. Please R&R. Enjoy.

* * *

Saturday. The greatest day for children everywhere. There would be no school tomorrow and, more importantly, no school today.

TJ's eyes flung open as he greeted the morning. He and his sister had spent the night camping out in the living room. It was kind of fun to sleep in the tent. There were creepy noises accompanied by the eerie lights of an occasionally passing car.

TJ yawned as he began crawling out of the tent, accidently kneeing Bob as he passed. The monkey let out a sharp squeak that woke Becky momentarily.

"Huggy," the girl opened one lazy eye. "I'll get Two-Brains in five minutes. . ." She was back out before Bob could even think to shush her from the WordGirl references. TJ didn't seem to notice, however, he was already out of the tent and rummaging through the room in search of the television remote.

"Where is that stupid thing," The boy whined as his hand slipped under the couch cushions. "Here it is!" TJ aimed the remote in the direction of the small screen which was regrettably behind parts of the tent. "Sorry Becky but this thing's got to move."

TJ took hold of the sheet on the left side of the tent and pulled it to the floor. Finally he could see the screen as a click brought the machine to life. Inside the tent, Becky was still dozing with the tent raised only a few inches from her face.

Flipping through the channels, TJ saw several shows he had no interest in.

"Where's that guy that talks about WordGirl's stuff?" TJ's mad hunt was watched in disapproval as Bob exited the tent.

The monkey, though he loved the boy, could easily be angered by the child's antics; waking him up on Saturday was one such occasion. Despite that, Bob joined TJ on the sofa, since sleep was no longer an option.

After several moments TJ stopped on a random channel. It was that game show that WordGirl's sidekick would appear on.

The host spoke up.

"Hi, I'm Beau Handsome and this is . . ." the host paused to allow the audience to voice the show's title, 'May I Have a Word.' The host spoke again.

"As usually, the player who correctly defines today's featured word will win a fabulous prize," the camera panned over to show Huggy posing in front of gift packages. Bob winced at how ridiculous he looked on the screen. Beau only smiled as the focus was placed back on him.

"Let's play . . ."

"May I Have a Word!" the audience shouted in excitement.

"Yes you may," Beau replied as if engaging in the child's game of 'Mother May I.' "Today's featured word is 'capture,' to give you a clue, here's some clips from WordGirl that show the meaning of the word."

The show flipped through several pictures that had been taken of WordGirl as she vanquished villains and arrested them. All the pictures had been taken by passers-by or media crews and then composited into short films enjoyed by anyone who wished to use them, in this case a game show. No one on May I Have a Word knew the truth about WordGirl and the random pictures of school girl Becky, but the show was always close enough to dissolving the truth that Huggy took it upon himself to join the crew in order to keep Becky's secret discrete.

TJ became quickly bored with the show and again changed the channel. This time the program was something TJ could really benefit from.

"Killer Robots!" TJ cheered, leaping from the couch and knocking the last stronghold of the tent.

The sheets all fluttered down and on top of the tent's sleeping occupant. All the shouts, sounds of robotic explosions and the sensation of the sheets collapsing on her woke Becky with a start.

Was Tobey attacking the city with his robots?! It wasn't raining, so that must be it.

Without a moment's hesitation, WordGirl flew out of the malformed tent and hovered precariously in the living room. Her eyes darted from one side of the room to the other until they finally came to rest on the dropping jaw of her little brother.

"Word-WordGirl?" TJ was rendered speechless.

"Uh-oh." WordGirl sighed as she saw her sidekick's secret identity slap his forehead.

"Are, you. . . really here?" TJ could hardly contain his heavy breathing. "Becky, Becky! Wake up, it's WordGirl!" TJ jumped off the couch and clasped his hands together.

It was then WordGirl realized that TJ still believed his sister was sleeping in the heap of sheets. She needed to find an excuse for Becky's absence quick, as well as one for WordGirl's presence.

"Uh, hello there citizen," WordGirl could see Bob shake his head despairingly. "I'm afraid your sister is, um, in the backyard right now and is unable to see me, so I'll just leave. . ."

"Who cares, You're Here! Are you looking for a new sidekick?" TJ pleaded with his eyes.

"No, I have . . ."

"I've noticed that you haven't been traveling with old Hugger LumpFace lately and I was just thinking that since I'm such an awesome canitate . . ."

"Candidate." WordGirl corrected rolling her eyes as she expected TJ to know this word by now. TJ didn't even notice the correction as he simply kept right on speaking.

" You have come looking for me. I even have my sidekick name all picked out, FluencyBoy. Great huh? I came up with it all by myself. I would be the best sidekick you could ever hope to have, I can even keep my room cleaner than my sister can; a skill I'm sure that monkey doesn't have."

Bob chirped in sheer disapproval, yet his whimper was ignored.

"Please pick me to work with you. Oh please, oh please." TJ held the 'e' out as long as possible before he allowed WordGirl to speak again.

"Captain HuggyFace is still my sidekick, sorry. As I was saying, I'll be leaving now since clearly there is no robot invasion happening in your living room."

TJ looked over at the television screen. So that's why she had come; if TJ had known that sooner he would have watched robots more often.

"Well, I'm sure if you stay around a robot invasion might start."

"No, it won't."

"Hey! My sister has the same hair cut," TJ was desperate to get WordGirl to stay, not even noticing the fretful look etching itself on the hero's face. "I bet she'll come in and give you some great tips on how to fix it. Please don't go!"

"Sorry TJ, I really must evacuate, I mean leave." WordGirl speed out the door leaving behind a fainting admirer to ponder how the city's superhero remembered his name.

WordGirl lingered outside the Botsford home making sure TJ wasn't following. That had to be one of her closes encounters to date. It was amazing how lackadaisical she had become in keeping her secret, and how poor her excuses were for Becky never being around. WordGirl smiled at how stupid it sounded to say Becky was in the backyard. Who stands in the yard first thing in the morning? Well, judging by the placement of the sun it couldn't be that early. But that's what happens when children stay up late, they wake up . . .

"So uh," a voice came from the end of the driveway and startled WordGirl to the point of freezing in the air. "What are you doing?"

Scoops had made a rather early morning visit to the Botsford residence. But now, with the scene of WordGirl flying out of the Botsfords' home, his original intent had been lost.

"Why are you in Becky's house?"

WordGirl slowly landed facing Scoops, slightly at a loss for words. She knew he had been in hot pursuit of WordGirl lately due to the whole hair incident. Now the circumstances were against her in that she was in a place where, logically, Becky and WordGirl should both coexist; not a possible feat.

Oh the other hand, looking at Scoops reminded her of Tuesday. For this, she wasn't sure what she felt.

The two stood in silence for a moment. A few birds chirped, a car started off in the distance, and there was that awkward 'I wonder what their thinking' feeling in the air.

From inside the house came the sound of a startling explosion. It was then WordGirl remembered the excuse she had used on TJ.

"You might as well just leave," WordGirl tried to laugh off the tension that had built up in this meeting. "There's nothing to report here."

"Huh?" Scoops was beyond confused by this. Had WordGirl really just popped out of Becky's house?

"There's no robot invasion, I mean, that's why I came."

"It just sounds like someone has the TV on high?" Scoops titled his head in confusion.

"Oh, yeah, false alarm. Well I'll just go." WordGirl got into the position to fly off, but was stopped by the news-captor's words.

"I'm sorry."

WordGirl's determined and fidgety temperament vanished as she set her gaze on the boy. He had placed his stare on a few marks carved in the Botsford's driveway, visibly ashamed of himself. WordGirl also noticed Scoops had his hat, but the press pass was missing.

"What for?" WordGirl asked relaxing from her flight position to mull over the reasons he would remove his pass . . . maybe his parents had done it.

Scoops was quiet for a moment as he appeared to be carefully arranging how he wished to explain. Just as he opened his mouth to respond, TJ could be heard shouting for his sister to come in from the backyard. Both Scoops and WordGirl turned to face the door as the young boy's screamed.

"Oh what's that I hear?" WordGirl placed a hand to her ear as she pretended to hear a cry for help. "Someone in the city, mile from here, needs my help. You're forgiven, later Scoops."

WordGirl zipped off into flight down the street. Once around the corner she changed directions to fly up the street directly behind hers. WordGirl stopped and made sure no one was watching before changing back into Becky. She then climbed the fence back into her own backyard just in time for TJ to come running out the backdoor.

"Becky, guess what!" the eight year old came alongside his sister. "WordGirl-was-in-our-house-and-she-was-talking-to-me,-and-guess-what . . . she remembered my name! I'm going to be WordGirl's sidekick!" TJ spoke so fast, Becky almost had trouble keeping up. "She was so happy with me, her happiness was hard to hide, she couldn't have been happier! I couldn't be happier."

Becky cringed at her brother's over usage of the word 'happy.' Elated, floored, ecstatic, joyful, jubilant, any word would do. But she could correct him later; Becky was slightly concerned about Scoops at the moment. Becky had known Scoops to be an early riser, but walking around aimlessly wasn't among his natural habits.

Becky walked past her brother who was now heading up into his tree-clubhouse; a direct result of his hero-worship no doubt.

Once back inside, Becky went to the front window and peeked out the curtain. What was he doing? Scoops was still standing outside the house as if still wondering how WordGirl had made it inside. Becky felt her nerves tensing. What if he was drawing a connection between her and WordGirl?

Becky swallowed hard and shut the curtains. She needed to think of something to cover WordGirl's being there. All she would have to do is distract Scoops so he wouldn't have time to think about it. But she couldn't do that in her night clothes, she needed to change and . . .

"Morning Pumpkin," Mr. Botsford was coming down the stairs caring a large suitcase. "Up to say good-bye to your mother?"

As if entering on cue, Mrs. Botsford came rushing down after her husband, almost knocking him over as she passed by him.

"Oh my, it's almost nine o'clock and I'm still not on my way." Sally quickened her pace as she entered the kitchen. "Becky have you seen my briefcase?"

"I think it's still by the door." Becky pointed over at the house's entrance to see her mother's case right where she had left it last night. The front door was still open from WordGirl's evacuation much to Mr. Botsford's delight as he struggled to get through the cluttered living room and out the door.

"Thanks Becky you're so observant." Sally came around the room and planted a small kiss on Becky's head. Sally then kneeled down to Becky's eye level and hugged her daughter. "You be safe this summer and don't give Mrs. Heaslip any trouble."

"I won't mom." Becky promised as she returned the embrace.

"I love you sweetheart."

"I love you too mom."

Sally rose with a smile feeling, for the first time all week, comfortable with her relationship with her daughter.

"Do you know where your brother is?" Sally glanced around the room.

"He went out back."

Tim's voice could be heard from the driveway.

"The taxi's here!"

"Can you tell him to wait just a minute?" Sally called back as she made her way to the backdoor.

The living room became very still. Without her family laughing and moving about the space, this room felt lonely and empty to Becky.

"This is how it's going to be when dad and TJ leave." Becky just stood and took in the scene around here. Not even her friend Bob remained in the room. He must have stepped out when WordGirl slipped off. This lonely atmosphere just didn't feel like home.

"Sally!" Tim's voice came through the house again. "You've got to get going!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Sally came back into the room. "Can't a mother say good-bye to her children." Sally stopped once more in front of Becky. "I forgot to give you these last night, but I'm certain you and Violet can find a use for them."

Sally handed her daughter the two tickets Claire had given her. Becky received the pieces of paper and gave them a quick read.

"Mom, these are tickets to the horse show! These are awesome!" Becky's eyes glistened as she glanced over the tickets. "Thank you, mom." Becky hugged her mother once again and received a quick pat on the head as Sally hastened out the door.

Becky could hear the taxi drive off as her father entering the house again, but she never removed her eyes from the tickets. What a sensational gift!

Tim watched his daughter with a slightly sadder disposition, forlorn at the thought of a week without his wife . . . with the kids. It wasn't that he felt he was unqualified for the task at hand, it was just Sally was always better at organizing the kids for trips, but now he would have to do it. Oh well, he still had a week before he needed to worry about that.

"Becky," Tim finally broke his daughter out of her enchanted stare. "There's a friend outside waiting to see you."

In all the excitement Becky had completely forgotten about Scoops. Yet, maybe she could use these tickets to accomplish two goals at once.

"Can you tell him to wait a minute while I get dressed?" Becky asked her father as she made her way to the stairs.

"Well, sure," Mr. Botsford grinned. "Hurry though I think he's been waiting awhile. Matter of fact, I'll have him wait in the living room so he's not just standing outside."

Becky rushed to get ready and was back downstairs greeting Scoops in no time. She showed him and her father the tickets and, with a little coxing, got Scoops to agree to go with her to the horse show.

Scoops was never fond of horses. They were smelly, they were stupid and aside from racing, they never had any interesting stories to report. But he had agreed to go on this outing and he needed to make the most of it. . . to be honest, he had no idea why he had agreed.

He had just wanted to take a walk. He couldn't report and therefore he had nothing better to do with his Saturday, and, with his luck, every good story would happen today. But that still didn't explain why he had ended up in front of the Botsford's house. Perhaps it was in hopes of . . . disproving something.

Violet's words had been taunting him. If true friends don't betray each other, than what was his relationship to Becky?

He had never had more evidence that someone was WordGirl than he did right now. WordGirl was in Becky's house, Becky had taken a fancy to putting her hair up and Violet was now covering for her friend; proof Violet knew something. And yet . . . could he really turn her in? Becky had always been a good friend, but this was his shot at big time reporting.

Scoops sent a glance over at Becky who had been rambling non-stop since they arrived at the outdoor show.

If he could just pull that tie out of her hair he would have the answer to all his questions, but at what price? Scoops half wished he could just disprove Becky was WordGirl so he wouldn't have to make such a moral decision, but on the other hand, he was so close to discovering the truth. He couldn't just throw away all his hard work for nothing.

Being an ace reporter or a true blue friend was not the kind of pressure he should have to face.

"Look at that!"

Just then Becky interrupted Scoops thoughts to point out the several horses being paraded in the showing arena. The two kids leaned against the fence to watch. The whole horse show had been set up in a large field just outside the city. There were several areas to explore in the showing; these prize winning stallions being one of them.

Becky was memorized by the tricks the horses could perform. And even Scoops had to admit their performance was astonishing. And that is when Speedy the horse was brought out into the arena. He had to be the finest looking horse out of the whole bunch. Strong, dependable, the stallion every horse lover would want.

"Isn't that horse beautiful, Scoops." Becky climbed up on the first horizontal bar of the fence to get a better look.

Speedy jumped over hurtles, ran around barrels, and outperformed any other contender in the dashing challenge. He was a truly power house, just like WordGirl. But just as Speedy was about to perform another high jump, he miscalculated the speed he'd need to clear the bar. Speedy's two back hoofs hit the bar and caused the horse to tumble to its side. The audience gasped in fear as the trainers and medics ran to the animal's aid.

That was it!

Scoops smiled as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. Not because he enjoyed the horse's failure but rather at the fact that the mighty always fall. Scoops was feeling guilty for truing in Becky because he would have been the reason she fell. So instead of pulling her hair tie, he would only have to wait for the moment WordGirl tripped up.

This had always been his original intent, but he was always too impatient to see it through. Asking Violet to help him was a mistake and so was trying to mark her. These methods would only make him feel guilty. But now he knew that no matter how long it took him to get the story, no one else would beat him to it. As Becky's friend, he would always be the first to see WordGirl's mistakes.

With his conscience clear Scoops spoke up.

"Maybe we should go somewhere else instead of watching that horse in pain."

"I think you're right." Becky dropped from the fence and sent one last worried glance over her shoulder before leaving.

The morning went by without too much of a hitch. It was about noon when the two decided it was time to head home for lunch.

"I have a project I need to get started on anyway." Becky voiced as they made their way to the exit.

But it was then that a sign caught Becky's attention. Hanging over a bridge crossing a medium size pond was a sign that read, 'Equestrian Enthusiasts Welcome.'

"Scoops wait a minute," Becky stood under the sign and pointed it out to Scoops. "Can we do this before we go?"

"Uh," Scoops looked at the bridge and then back at Becky. "I don't think I'd like it much. It doesn't sound fun."

"Do you know what 'equestrian' means?" Becky placed her hand on her hips. You'd think someone as inquisitive as a reporter would enjoy learning something new. But Scoops only took another step back. "It's another word for horseback rider; maybe they'll let us ride. Come on."

Becky headed out on the bridge in a wave of excitement, but stopped when she realized there was no one following behind her. Becky turned to see that Scoops was still standing at the end looking rather penitently in her direction.

Becky raised an eyebrow. Why wasn't he following?

"Come on Scoops," Becky waved for him to come, but he remained still. "I promise we'll leave right after this."

"I'll wait, for you, here." Scoops called weakly after her and then took a seat on a nearby bench.

Shaking her head Becky started back for the shore to try and get her friend to come. Even if he didn't like horses, it wouldn't be much fun to sit here while she was off riding for an extended period of time. Maybe he was really hungry and just wanted to head back.

Thunder? Had Becky just heard Thunder?

In the not-so-far distance a muffled cry could be heard. It almost sounded like a kid screaming, a very large kid. . . Eileen!

"Mine! Mine! Mine!" A voice came echoing through the air. It sounded like the Birthday Girl was already in the equestrian exhibit. But why had she come to the show?

Becky gritted her teeth. Why did this have to happen now? She would have to leave Scoops for now, surely he had forgotten all about this morning. And maybe Eileen showing up here wasn't such a bad thing. Due to Scoops wanting to leave she wouldn't have to make up an excuse as to why she needed to run off.

"Like I said before Scoops," Becky hallowed over her shoulder as she took off across the bridge. "I'll be back in no time!"

"Wait a minute." Scoops got to his feet to pursue his friend and research subject, but he stopped short of the first board to the bridge.

Scoops looked across the waters to see Becky had already made it to the other side and out of sight.

"Great." Scoops let out a sigh.

If Becky was heading toward that strange sound to transform into WordGirl, he would be stuck over here, where he couldn't see. . .why didn't he pull out that hair tie when he had the chance? Or better yet, why couldn't he cross this bridge?

Scoops turned back around to sit on the bench only to find he wasn't alone anymore. Sitting on the bench was one of the news reporters who he had met earlier. The man wore a thin smile as he motioned for Scoops to join him.

"Hey there," Scoops stood by the man, happy to have a real reporter to share his dilemma with. "Boy am I happy to see you. This whole tracking WordGirl thing is getting to be. . ."

"Hey slow down," the fake reporter motioned with his hands that Scoops should keep the noise level down. "I saw your friend run off; is she coming back for ya?"

"Well, maybe a little later, but probably not for a while. But that's not what I need to ask you mister, uh. . . what was your name again?"

"Curtis," he glanced around quickly as he spoke. "And don't talk so loud."

"Why? What's wrong?" Scoops sat next to the man to whisper.

"Nothing. There's something me and my partner want to show you that no other reporter has."

"What is it?"

"Something I can't show you here," Curtis got to his feet and made a gesture for Scoops to follow. "Our news van is just outside this horse show, come on."

Scoops was both intrigued and weary of the offer being extended to him. He got to his feet but did not immediately follow Curtis. Scoops watched the man as another roll of thunder passed.

"Wait, why are you showing me this? I'm not even a reporter for your paper."

Curtis grimaced at this remark before facing Scoops again.

"My partner thinks you show, great potential, and he wants to help you discover WordGirl so that you can join the paper."

The boy gave Curtis a very skeptic look. Something didn't make sense here. No rivaling reporter would help their contender unless . . .

"Are you trying to steal this story from me?"

"What?!" Curtis hadn't expected that. "No, why would I do that?"

"Because you know I'm close to finding out WordGirl and you want all the glory."

Curtis didn't want to draw a crowd by fighting with a young kid at a public event. It was bad enough he was disobeying High Law in having contact with this kid, he didn't need to disrupt the lives of other Earthlings as well. Maybe he could use the boy's ego against him again.

"To be honest with you boy," Curtis spoke. "I do want to share ideas in hopes of solving another story I'm on."

"So you came to me?"

"You do have the best selling paper around."

Scoops couldn't help but feel a bit proud of that remark.

"Well, I guess I could give you a few tips, but nothing about WordGirl's identity, right?"

"Of course not," another weak smile. "I have maps and interviews all recorded but I want a second opinion on my conclusion before I hand it over to my editor."

"Okay," Scoops took a few steps before stopping again. "But what about Becky?"

"Who?"

"The girl I was with; she'll wonder where I've gone."

There was another loud thunderous noise accompanied by some cheers. Curtis knew that whatever had distracted Scoops' friend wasn't going to hold her at bay much longer.

"Why don't you leave her a note?" Curtis quickly suggested as he fiddled in his jacket pockets to find a pen and paper. "Here."

"Thanks," Scoops took the items and wrote. "Dear Becky, I'll be back in a few, just wait for me."

Scoops placed the note on the chair just to have it knocked off by the wind.

"Ah shoot, it won't stay." Scoops tried again only to have Curtis snatch his paper.

"Try putting your hat on it." Curtis held the paper in place. "She'll see it and know it's you."

Scoops did as directed and smiled as a showing of thanks. Scoops then started heading in the direction of the exit, his back to Curtis. The fake reported took this opportunity to knock the hat off the bench and into a nearby bush.

The two walked a few paces in silence before Curtis extended something to Scoops.

"Care for a mint?"

"I'm so hungry I'd take anything, thanks."

Scoops took the small candy from the package presented him.

"What flavor is this? I've never tasted this before."

"You like it?"

"Yeah."

Curtis sighed.

"What's wrong?" Scoops suppressed a yawn. "You sound upset."

Curtis again didn't answer the boy but lead the way out of the horse show. The two came to the news van that Curtis had waiting. The man opened the door to what appeared to be very sophisticated news equipment, the likes of which Scoops had never seen before.

Yawn.

Scoops couldn't suppress the sleepy feeling that had come over him. His eyes could barley stay open and his head was so heavy. Scoops could hardly keep to his feet.

"Maybe you, should . . ." Curtis cleared his throat. "Take a seat inside and rest."

Scoops did what he was told, too tired to argue. It felt much better once he was in a relaxed position, but again something felt wrong. Scoops glanced one more time at Curtis. He saw the man give a rather dismaying look back before shutting the van door. Somthin' was addin' up. . .

Scoops' last thought; this wasn't about news . . . other than the fact that he was going to make headlines.

* * *


	16. Names

Disclaimer: I do not own WordGirl or any characters related to that show.

A year ago today I started writing this story. It is pretty funny how much this story has changed and expanded since then. I hope this story continues to be enjoyed for however long it takes to finish it. Please R&R.

* * *

Becky had made it out of the sight of Scoops and found it safe to transform into WordGirl. The heroine took a quick moment to glance over her freshly mended costume. Huggy had done a great job patching the holes, and now it was time to test his sewing skills. In no time she took to the skies and was ready to deliver justice to Eileen.

"Word-Up!"

As the superhero came near enough to the riding area, she could see that Eileen had grown about the size of a one story house. She hadn't gotten too angry, but her size was still a force to be reckoned with. The Birthday Girl had cut everyone in line to be the first one to ride Glitter, a white horse decorated to look like a unicorn with a plastic horn attached to its head. The poor creature was horrified by the large girl trying to put her weight on it.

WordGirl didn't waste any time getting down to Eileen's eye level; no one was going to harass a unicorn on her watch.

"Stop right there Birthday Girl!" WordGirl held up a hand to prevent Eileen from carrying out her intent. "This attraction is for people who have been waiting patiently."

"But I always get what I want! And this horse is Mine." Eileen's size began to enhance as her greed feed her monstrous temper.

Eileen, who was now about the size of an office building, easily smacked WordGirl out of her way and grabbed the horse around its middle. The animal cried out in fear as Eileen stared coldly at it.

"Aww, this horsey is too small," Eileen complained. "I want a bigger horse!"

Eileen began stomping her feet in a very loud, very dangerous temper tantrum. The ground shook under her steps as several persons still in the area fell to the ground.

"Someone needs to stop her!" a man howled in an attempt to be heard over the thunderous stomps.

Finally managing to pull herself from the thorn bush she landed in, WordGirl sprung back into action to stop Eileen. First thing she needed to do was get the overgrown toddler to stop causing earthquakes.

WordGirl surveyed the surrounding area of panicking people and spotted the ropes used for the horses. Perhaps she could tie up Eileen, or at least trip her so the people could stand to leave. WordGirl flew toward the ropes and saddles and scooped them up. She then quickly tied the loose ends to form the longest rope she could. Here goes nothing.

WordGirl zoomed around the stomping feet of Eileen until the enormous girl began stumbling over the ropes.

"Whoa!" Eileen lost her balance and fell to the ground with a booming thud. The people cheered as WordGirl halted her flying to address Eileen.

"Why are you doing this Eileen?" WordGirl asked doing her best to talk Eileen out of her greedy rage. "You know you have to wait your turn."

"I waz gonna go first because today's my birthday." Eileen began tearing up as she struggled with the ropes on her feet. "I want to be the first to ride the horsey!"

WordGirl shook her head. Eileen was never going to learn was she? How this girl had come to believe the lie that she could have a birthday everyday was beyond WordGirl. It was such a farfetched tale it would almost take brainwashing to believe it, and maybe just as extreme a method to undo it.

WordGirl landed in front of the group of spectators.

"It's okay citizens," Wordgirl beamed with her achievement. "There is no more danger and you can return to horse watching."

It was then, however, that WordGirl heard the ropes around Eileen's legs begin to snap. The cords were too weak to hold a giant. WordGirl needed to think fast if she didn't want that monster of a girl to wreak havoc again. But what could stop her?

Getting Eileen to share was one way to get her to shrink back down to a manageable size, but WordGirl wasn't sure how to get Eileen to do that. She could try to use the Birthday Girl's greed against her, but there wasn't anything to let Eileen overindulge in without hurting one of the animals. If only Huggy were here, he might be able to think up a plan.

Just as Eileen broke free of her entrapment, another idea flew into WordGirl's head. Maybe she didn't need to get Eileen to feel generous to make her shrink; all she needed was to get Eileen to stop feeling greedy.

WordGirl's eyes scanned the area and found the perfect emotion changer.

"Hey Eileen!" WordGirl taunted as she rose back into the air and between the large girl and the horses. "These small ponies are for little kids, but a big girl like you would really love the gigantic unicorn hidden behind those trees."

WordGirl pointed out past the horse shows grounds. Beyond the field was the starting point of the forest. Eileen squinted to see before she spoke.

"I don't see anything."

"That's because it's hidden," WordGirl over annunciated out of aggravation. "But we're going to fight about these little horses, so come on."

"Foget these," Eileen coed. "I'm having the biggerest horsey."

Eileen quickly left the showing grounds and hastily made her way across the field. WordGirl smiled as Eileen fell, quite literally, for her trick. Due to all the rain lately some lower patches of the field had become waterlogged and therefore very slippery. The moment Eileen's foot hit the sopping ground she fell hard into mucky muddy water. The large girl was covered in mud with small twigs and grass caught in her hair. She was a rather funny sight to see, at least everyone watching would agree.

Laughter echoed through the field as Eileen began turning a bright red. She had never felt more embarrassed in her life. Eileen's size rapidly decreased as tears began wheeling up in her eyes.

"Opps." WordGirl flew to her advisory. She hadn't meant to make her cry. "Eileen, are you okay?"

"No." Eileen spat between sobs. The Birthday Girl didn't even wait for WordGirl's reply as she took off running, slipping every so often as she went.

Well that plan was a failure. Maybe Becky would have more luck talking with her at school Monday. WordGirl decided to let the issue go for now. The horses were safe and that's what mattered. If only all the villains who had escaped Sunday night would be this easy to find. Granny May, Lady Redundant Woman, the Whammer . . .Dr. Two-Brains, at least Chuck had been stopped and maybe the Birthday Girl would take a break from her greediness for awhile.

Coming back to where the people stood, WordGirl could see that the Mayor was among them.

"WordGirl, over here!" He called to which she obeyed. The man reached into his pocket and pulled out numerous speech cards that he proceeded to read from. "To thank you for your heroic efforts and saving my place in line, I'd like to award you with this."

The Mayor handed WordGirl a medium sized statue of a horse. WordGirl read the fine print under the figure.

"The best in show?"

"It was the only award I had on me," the Mayor shrugged. "Besides, with all that noise being made, my assistant couldn't hear me call for a different one."

"I guess we did make quite a commotion." WordGirl pondered.

"A what?"

"A commotion; a noisy event that is often confusing or active. Eileen's thunderous falls along with my yelling caused a commotion."

"Oh."

Back at the bridge, WordGirl had discreetly changed back into Becky and was heading back to her friend.

"You wouldn't believe the excitement I just saw . . ."

Scoops wasn't seated at the bench.

Becky looked around for a moment expecting to see him at one of the surrounding food stands, but alas he was nowhere to be found. Had he gone home without her? He was in a hurry to leave; maybe he got tired of waiting. Becky shrugged and decided to walk home alone. Hopefully Scoops was none the wiser about her alter-ego. He didn't seem to draw a connection at all. If he had he surely would have talked about it in the hours they spent together.

Becky smiled to herself. Aside from worrying about her alter-ego being discovered, Becky had just experienced a pretty good day; not to mention she got to spend the day with Scoops. Oh well, now it was time to get home and start work on that make up assignment. And being Scoops wasn't with her, it wouldn't hurt to fly home. Becky gave a quick look around; no one appeared to be watching her.

"Word-Up."

Becky got home and got straight to work on her family tree project spreading a large poster in the middle of her bedroom floor. She had to do well on this if she ever hoped to make up the grade. She would use family photos and all her best art supplies. This would be the best project ever.

Or at least that's what she was hoping for.

After only twenty minutes Becky began to realize that her sopping in glue and glitter poster was a complete disaster. Becky knew she wasn't the most artistic kid in her class, but surely she could do better than this. Becky lay back with a sigh. She stared at the ceiling. Why was this so hard? All her classmates made it look easy.

Becky heard the door to her room open and shut as her friend, Bob, came and stood over her. He seemed to be smiling as he glanced over at the "work of art." Becky rolled her eyes at her monkey companion's teary eyes.

"What are you so happy about?" Becky lowered her eyebrows as Bob answered. "It's supposed to be glittery Bob. Glitter is pretty."

Becky sat up and took hold of her project. Tilting it to the light, Becky hoped the project would shimmer beautifully, but instead it dripped a large drop of glinting glue right onto the carpet. Bob couldn't contain his laugher as he fell back amused. Becky let out a low growl as she released her project.

"Thanks for your support." Becky's sarcasm was mocked as Bob assured her that she was very welcome.

Maybe it was time for a break.

Becky headed downstairs in hopes of getting a quick snack. Maybe she would be hit with inspiration. She could stretch her legs and refresh her mind. She couldn't help but wonder if Tobey was having as much 'fun' as she was . . . then again, he was probably just having his robots do it. So unfair.

As Becky rounded the wall into the kitchen, however, her father was blocking the way in. He was on the phone; he wasn't speaking, just listening. Becky tried to be patient, she really did, but this phone conversation was taking too long. So Becky began to squeeze herself around her father and the wall.

"Sorry." She whispered as her dad gave her a quick glare.

Becky started opening the cupboards and digging around to see what she could find. Several times she would recheck a cupboard as if looking to see if her selections had changed. But nothing looked appetizing to the girl. It was then her father began speaking.

"No, he didn't come back here. He probably went to work on that newspaper of his."

This caught Becky's attention.

"Well, if I see him I'll let him know you want him back home. I'll also ask Becky. . . You're welcome. Bye."

Mr. Botsford hung up the phone, but before he could think to take another step, his daughter bombarded him with questions.

"Who was that? Was that Scoops' parents? Was he reporting something?"

"Whoa, slow down there," Tim laughed. "Mr. Ming's upset because his son went behind his back to work on his newspaper again, that's all." Tim thought about what he just said for a moment. "I guess that is bad. You shouldn't play with rebellious children."

Satisfied with his answer, Tim left the kitchen humming a familiar tune.

Becky smacked her hand against her forehead as she leaded against the refrigerator. Scoops must have figured out that she was WordGirl and was now printing a story about it. What could she do? If she tried to confront him on the issue that would just confirm his belief, but if she didn't stop him the whole city would know!

No, no, no. She needed to calm down. Just because Scoops had seen WordGirl inside the Botsford home didn't mean he knew the truth. There was no evidence to support Becky being WordGirl right? Maybe Bob would know what to do.

"Just forget about it?!" Becky couldn't believe the words coming out of her monkey companion. "Scoops is going to tell the whole world I'm WordGirl!"

Bob shrugged and responded that it would be foolish for a reporter to write a story without solid proof.

"I guess you're right; but what if he does anyway . . .What do you mean you don't know?!" Bob only smiled unnervingly. "Great." There was not much she could really do. There was no reason to believe Scoops had figured out her secret; he couldn't have. He never would have spent the day with her if he knew the truth; he would have gone straight to work printing the story. She needed to calm down.

Becky flopped back down on her bedroom floor completely forgetting her project was there.

Splat. The poster fastened itself to Becky's backside.

_o_

Tyesha watched as the last staff member left the mansion. With great strain she shut the now manual front door. She felt awful having to tell her friends of over seven years that they were now jobless. All of this seemed too extreme to her and she couldn't understand why her boss had asked for things to be done.

Oh well, she couldn't fight his logic; he had a way of always winning disputes. Tyesha would just have to learn to handle the new change, and surely her co-workers would as well.

Tyesha looked around the empted lobby and couldn't help but laugh. The staff must have thought her boss, 'Kevin,' was crazy when he asked them to take anything they wanted when they were leaving. Of course he'd paint himself to look like the good guy as he had her fire everyone. They must have also laughed at the boss' new name.

Tyesha's boss felt that choosing more Earthen names would help WordGirl feel more comfortable. He even insisted she change her name to 'Sue,' but luckily Lexiconian names are common on Mother Earth. But right now Tyesha needed to focus on the task at hand, filling the house with the Earth stuff . . . alone.

Sigh.

Tyesha was just about to head down to the cellar when a knock came at the door behind her. Who could that be? Maybe one of the staff forgot something.

Upon opening the door, Tyesha was greeted by one of Kevin's many historians; this woman Tyesha did not practically like. Miena waved down at Tyesha as if waving at a pet.

"Hi there you silly little thing you." Miena spoke condescendingly.

"Don't talk to me like that." Tyesha growled as Miena pushed her way in.

"Sorry," the woman called back. "I don't speak stupid." Miena's walk through the lobby was short as she stopped in the center. "What'd you do to all the furniture Ty, tear it all up?"

Tyesha tried to ignore the woman as she shut the door. Her day was bad enough without having a Britannican loyalist making fun of her.

"So where's Zephyr?" the historian asked as she glanced around the empty room.

Tyesha didn't answer, but her boss' footsteps could be heard coming from one of the halls. He would be there momentarily. And when he did arrive he seemed . . . angry?

"I called you here over an hour ago!" his voice echoed through the vacant halls like the roar of a fuming beast.

"I, I'm sorry." Miena barely had time to choke out an answer.

"What do you think I'm paying you for, to have me waiting around for information I could very well acquire from someone else!"

Tyesha had to stifle a laugh. It was nice to see someone else act as the object of her boss' anger, especially Miena.

"You know I live on Storia, and that planet has the worst teleportation systems in the universe."

The man didn't respond to her, but instead waved for her to follow him into one of the side rooms still occupied with furniture. Miena followed sending a quick glare back at Tyesha who was snickering as she followed.

The side room held a coffee table and two sofas on either side. Kevin had taken a seat and pointed to the sofa across from him for Miena to sit.

"Hurry I want to get this over with as soon as possible." Kevin spat as the historian scrambled to fill her seat.

"Right," The woman spoke as she reached into her small hand bag and produced a holographic device similar to Adler's. "Nona's sent you a full report this morning Zephyr."

"Kevin."

Miena looked up from setting the device on the table and gave the man a puzzled look.

"Call me Kevin from now on."

"But your name is Zephyr."

"Are you deaf? I said call me 'Kevin' from now on."

"Okay," Miena whispered under her breath. "If you end up committed don't blame me."

"Oh, one more thing," Kevin smiled. "When WordGirl's here, I want you to go by the name Lily."

"Are you serious?" 'Lily's' disgust amused Kevin slightly.

"If you want me to continue paying you."

Lily rolled her eyes and started the machine. She flipped through the images until she got to the report from Nona. Lily read to him,

"The explosion involved five people, including our target, and was noticed by local media and residents. The city's response was to declare that all older buildings be checked to see if they are up to code. Whatever that standard is for the city is unclear at this time, but it is clear that no one on Mother Earth detected alien presence. We, however, know it is Adler's presences on the planet that caused the explosion. He too is after WordGirl. She herself had disappeared for two days which worried the city, but she has reemerged at a horse showing outside the town, at which point her secret identity's facial features have been photographed but her name and location still remain a mystery. Here is the picture."

Lily ran her hand through the screen and revealed the picture of Becky standing next to the bench Scoops had once been at. Kevin stared hard at the picture before looking up at Lily.

"Are you sure Adler is there?"

"The historians of Britannica have let me know that he left the planet for Earth last week. Unless my co-workers on Britannica are lying to me." The woman answered.

"Which is a high possibility." The man spat as he leaned forward in his chair. "How do you know he's after WordGirl?"

"Who else would he be interested in?" Lily shifted her weight. "If he could capture the supposed princess of Lexicon he'd be hailed as a hero on Britannica and win merit with the king."

"There's no way he can know." Kevin spoke as if to himself.

"Everyone knows, Lexicon's been fighting a war over the fact since the day the royal family died."

"Yes, but what if he . . . how does he know it's her!" Tyesha jumped as her boss rose to his feet and slammed his hands on the table between him and the woman. "He'll kill her, don't you get it."

"Zephyr calm down."

"What do you mean calm down! That mad man's on Earth and you want me to calm down!"

Lily rose slowly and placed a hand on Kevin's shoulder.

"He doesn't know where she is either. Nona's the best CRA agent we have, she'll get WordGirl don't worry. Lexicon isn't doomed yet." Lily turned to the door "I think I'll just let you get ready for WordGirl, I'll come back once she's here."

"Just remember," Kevin spoke. "Your name is Lily and nothing in my house looks foreign to you."

Lily nodded despite her confusion over his statement. She knew he had a lot on his mind. He had volunteered to care for the princess once word reached Thesauria that she was on Earth. Her existence could change the whole outcome of the war. Lexicon would have a ruler again and a fighting chance to defeat Britannica. Not that it was any of Lily's concern. Her planet, Storia, had been conquered by Britannica for about ninety years; what difference would it make if Lexicon won the war now.

Lily left the room.

Kevin relaxed back down into his chair as his assistant came up beside him.

"Tyesha," Kevin looked to his helper and dear friend. "I'm frightened Nona might be over her head."

"Don't worry sir," Tyesha smiled knowing it wouldn't be enough to console her boss. "Nona's been working with children in WordGirl's dilemma for years, WordGirl's going to be okay."

"We'd better hope so. If Adler gets her, he'll not only kill Lexicon's last hope, he'll crush the Lexiconian Empire."

Tyesha's eyes dropped to the floor for a moment as those words registered in her head.

"You seem more concerned than you shou-"

"Do you not understand what would happen if WordGirl was to die! If something was to happen to Earth!" Kevin wheeled on his assistance, aiming all his anger at her.

"Well, well, I . . ." Tyesha nearly tripped on the coffee table as she backed away from her boss.

* * *


	17. Heard it

Disclaimer- I don't own WordGirl & co.

Happy Thanksgiving- And to those of you who aren't American, have a Happy 26th of November.

* * *

There was a stillness in the room that constituted for the perfect napping area. The television wasn't on, the people weren't home, the neighbors had quit moving their furniture around in the next apartment, yes, this was a cat's ideal sleeping space.

Utter silence.

"Afternoon my sweet kitty!"

The Heaslip family cat nearly suffered a heart attack as the front door to the apartment flung open. Violet and her mother had made a quick run to the store in order to buy a few things for Violet's and Becky's 'party' that night.

"Oh mom," Violet danced into the apartment as her mother balanced the shopping bags and shut the door. "I can't wait until Becky gets here."

"Well in the mean time," Mrs. Heaslip smiled. "Do you mind helping your mother?"

Violet laughed as she ran to assist her mom. Violet took one of the bags and went to place it in the kitchen.

Upon hearing the words "Becky gets here," the family pet made its retreat to Mrs. Heaslip's bedroom. Hopefully that monkey wouldn't accompany Becky this time.

"Well Violet," the mother joined her daughter in the kitchen. "Becky should be here in less than an hour, we should probably get started on making those cookies." Mrs. Heaslip began emptying the bag when her daughter grabbed onto her arm.

"No mom, I want to make these with Becky," the girl quickly put the exposed items back into the bag. "She's going to bring some snacks too."

"Sounds like fun."

"It will be the best time ever," Violet beamed. "Just me and my best friend."

"Well don't stay up too late."

"We won't, the show's only an hour long and the cookies should only take a few minutes."

Mrs. Heaslip smiled at her daughter's lack of time conception. She knew better. The two would end up goofing around until nine at night and then beg to have Becky spend the night. It happened this way almost every time Becky came over. But she didn't mind. Becky was a good girl and it gave Violet someone to play with.

"Okay dear," Mrs. Heaslip patted her daughter's head. "Come get me to put the cookies in the oven, okay?"

"Right mom."

"I'll be working on the design scheme for the mural." With that, Mrs. Heaslip went to her work room.

Violet turned to face her tranquil living room . . . In a flash Violet ran over to the windows and threw open the curtain. There was just enough daylight left to fill the room with a warm, orange glow. Violet then went to the side closest in the hall to the bedrooms. There she found a large quilt which she could place on the living room floor so she and Becky could eat there. Violet laid the large blanket out along with a few extra pillows she found in the closet.

"This is going to be so much fun!"

Popcorn and diced fruit were put out in bowls with juice pouches placed next to them. And once Becky arrived, hopefully a few minutes early, they could start baking the cookies. This was such a pleasant turn of events considering the stress of the week. Now that she and Becky were friends again, Violet just couldn't wait to spend time with her best bud. Violet clapped her hands in excitement as she continued to prepare the living room for the Pretty Princess Power Hour Party.

Wait . . . Violet remembered that she had an old princess costume from last Halloween in her closet. Maybe she and Becky could dress up for the show. Oh what fun!

Violet ran back into her bedroom and rummaged around until she found her outfit. It still fit too! Maybe she could find a pretty outfit for Becky to wear and they could make crowns out of some of her art supplies. This was going to be the best time EVER!

Violet went over to her dresser to try and find another nice garment for her friend. In her haste she didn't notice she was shaking the small dress quite a lot. Several items fell from the top of the dresser, including a picture frame. Violet barely had time to look up to see the glass in the frame shatter onto the floor.

"Oh no," Violet dropped to her knees before the picture. "Daddy's picture."

The child scooped up the photo. Violet held the frame as if she were holding fragile porcelain with soiled hands. Why did this have to fall?

"Mom!" Violet couldn't hold back the tears as she ran to the workroom. "Mom, mom dad's picture fell on the floor and now it's smashed and I didn't mean to do it and I'm sorry."

Violet spoke so fast that her mother could scarcely keep up until the frame was held up to her.

"Oh, the glass broke." Mrs. Heaslip smiled affectionately at her daughter. "Don't worry about it Violet, we can fix it."

Violet watched her mother removed the picture from the frame as if watching the hands of a master potter. Each movement was so careful and calculated that it was hard to believe any wrong had been done at all to cause such a beautiful display of concern for the picture. Mrs. Heaslip placed the photo into another empty frame she had in her work space.

"Here you go Violet," the picture was handed back to its grateful owner. "It doesn't fit perfectly but it should do."

"Thank you mom." Violet's tears had vanished as she took the picture with care.

"I'll be in your room to clean the glass in a minute." Mrs. Heaslip shook her head a bit as her daughter bounded off.

Violet placed the photo back in its honored position in her bedroom.

"I'm sorry dad, I just got a little carried away." Violet placed a fond kiss on the new glass separating her from the photo's surface. "I'll be more careful. Now let's see what I can do about this mess."

The whole traumatic episode was forgotten as the light knocking drifted into the bedroom from the front door. Becky had arrived!

Violet left her room and quickly went to greet her guest. This was so exciting to have Becky here, and with the collector's cards. They could read all the bonus material about the characters together and answer all the trivia questions on the back.

As soon as the door opened the two friends rushed to hug each other and share all the ideas they had made for the evening. Bob also trailed behind Becky carrying all her collector's cards. He didn't wait for Violet to invite them in; Bob went straight into the living room to examine the food selection Violet had placed out.

"We still have twenty minutes before the show starts," Violet pulled her friend inside and to the kitchen. "I thought we could make some cookies and they would be done by the end of the show." Bob's chirps of approval could be heard from the living room.

"Sounds great!" Becky grinned placing the chips she had brought with her on the counter. "I really like your costume Violet."

"Thanks, I thought I'd wear it for the show. I tried to find one for you, but, I got sidetracked." Violet shrugged feeling bad that she didn't get her friend something to wear as well.

"It's okay, I don't need a costume." Becky didn't want Violet to feel down about anything tonight. This was Violet's time to be happy and hang with her best friend. Becky was going to let nothing ruin this night with Violet. Anything WordGirl needed to do could just wait.

The two got started on the cookies right away. Flour, sugar, water, the floor was covered in ingredients. The two girls laughed aloud as they mixed their concoction in a large mixing bowl. The two worked the batter together despite the fact Becky could easily do it alone. Bob had remained in the living room where he had finished off the popcorn and had set the channel on the television. As the monkey turned his attention to the fruit, the theme song for the Pretty Princess show began.

"Violet," Becky called dropping her spoon. "The shows starting!"

"Oh dear," Violet quickly went to the cupboard to find a cookie tray. "We need to hurry if we don't want to miss anything. I'll get my mom; you start putting cookies on the tray."

Violet ran to the workroom leaving Becky to grease the tin and place the cookies. Not a problem. Super speed made life so much easier. Becky had everything done before Violet and her mother returned.

"Wow Becky," Violet said as her mother took the tray to the oven. "You're really fast."

"And if we're not faster we'll miss the show."

Both girls fled the kitchen for the television. Mrs. Heaslip only growled at the sight of the mess. But this was Becky and Violet's special night . . . it wouldn't hurt to clean it up for them, just this once. Mrs. Heaslip retrieved a mop and bucket and proceeded to clean the floor. It was unbelievable the mess these two little girls made. Almost made her wonder about the cookies themselves. Maybe she'd pass on eating them.

The door bell rang.

The girls never moved from their position from in front of the screen, so Mrs. Heaslip leaned the mop against the wall and went to the door.

"You two could have answered it."

"Ah huh." Violet agreed mindlessly never looking at her mother.

Mrs. Heaslip rolled her eyes. Kids. As she opened the door she was a bit surprised. The girls on the other hand hadn't noticed who came to the door; they were only annoyed by the slight mumbling behind them. Grown-ups.

"What are you doing?!" Mrs. Heaslip's voice suddenly rose to a level that broke Becky's concentration on the show.

When Becky turned to see what was going on, she found herself face to face with Scoop's dad. The man had entered the house uninvited kneeling before Becky. What was going on?!

"Becky," Mr. Ming did his best to remain calm. "Where did Todd go after you went to the horse show this morning?"

The man looked frazzled. His face was blotchy from some sort of heavy activity and his breathing was much stressed. Despite his attempts to appear composed, he emanated fear and panic. His eyes were tinted red as well; he had been, or at least was on the verge of, crying.

"I, I don't know."

This truth didn't seem to settle well with Mr. Ming. His voice rose as he did all he could not to shout at the girl.

"You had to have seen something! He had to say something to you!"

"Don't do that to her!" Mrs. Heaslip quickly came to Becky's rescue by coming between her and Mr. Ming.

"What's happening mom?" Violet turned the television off as she and Bob gave their full attention to the situation at hand.

"Nothing yelling at a child will fix." Mrs. Heaslip helped Becky off the floor and guided her to the couch. "Becky, please sit here. Violet, go to your room for a second, okay sweetie?"

"Yes mom?" Violet wasn't certain what was happening, but it would be best to just ask later.

As Violet left, Mr. Ming removed his glasses and wiped his face with his free hand. He stood up and faced Becky.

"I'm sorry," his voice was shaking. "Todd hasn't come home yet, and I'm wondering if he had told you anything about where he might be."

Becky glanced over to Bob who was still seated next to the television. He only offered her a shrug. He wasn't there; he knew nothing. Becky then sent her gaze on Violet's mother. The woman smiled weakly and encouraged Becky to tell anything that might help find him. Becky's eyes then fell to her hands.

Scoops never said he was going anywhere, but then again she didn't really remember. She was in such a hurry to get to the Birthday Girl she didn't even think to ask if Scoops was going to head home. He seemed hungry, it was lunch time and maybe he went out to eat . . .

"We were seated on a bench and I went to go see something, and when I got back he was gone. I figured he had gone home to eat. Maybe he's working on his paper."

"I've already check the school news room, and no one's seen him around town. Becky try to remember." Again Mr. Ming bent down facing Becky. "If he were running away from home, where would he go?"

"He wouldn't run away." Becky spoke softly as if having a hard time believing the story the man was telling her. "He seemed perfectly okay at the show."

Mrs. Heaslip then came along Scoop's father. She smiled weakly and took Becky's right hand.

"How long were you two together, and when was the last time you saw him?" Her voice was steady and nonthreatening, but the words somehow installed fear in Becky.

What was wrong? Scoops wouldn't run away, that wasn't like him at all. He loved his parents and never had a reason to leave them. Maybe he was just caught up in his work . . . No sooner had the thought entered her mind was it dismissed. Scoops didn't have his press pass so he wouldn't have been out reporting. Not to mention the biggest news that happened today was WordGirl and he had gone in the opposite direction of that.

"He left right around lunch time. Twelve maybe one o'clock. I really don't know where he could have gone."

"Thank you Becky," Mrs. Heaslip gestured for Becky to go to Violet's room. "We need to talk for a moment alone."

Becky did as instructed, leaving the two adults alone. Bob followed close behind the girl while looking back at the soft-spoken adults. Bob then crashed into the halted Becky.

Mrs. Heaslip may have wanted a moment alone, but this sounded like something WordGirl should hear.

Scoops' father sat on the edge of the sofa and placed his head in his hands.

"I've been out looking for him since five; I thought he might come here to be with Violet." The man deepened in his personal misery. "I saw Becky and I just had to ask."

"I'm not mad at you; I just don't want you frightening the children." Mrs. Heaslip went to the phone. "Does he have any other friends he might visit?"

"I've already called them all; he's mad at me."

"I doubt your son would runaway just because you told him to stop working on that paper." Violet's mother came back into the living room a struck a thinking pose. "Have you called the police?"

"My wife did; they haven't seen him."

"Maybe he got lost."

"No, he knows the city too well. He hates me."

The two adults continued on like that as Becky shrunk back in the hall to her friend's door. She looked to Bob as her mind filled with questions.

"Scoops wouldn't runaway, Bob," the heroine whispered as she placed a hand on Violet's door. "Something's wrong. He may be reckless at times, but he knows better than to go off alone."

Before Becky could open the door, however, Violet removed the wood from between them. Violet jumped at the sight of her friend not expecting someone to be there.

"Becky?" Violet's face was one of alarm. "What's happening?"

"Scoops is missing." Becky said sheepishly as if the blame could be pinned on her.

Violet gasped at the news placing her hands on her mouth to stifle the noise.

"What should we do? Is he hurt? Maybe he got lost."

Becky diverted her gaze to a small scratch on the wall. Violet was rambling on about the actions they should take to help, but Becky didn't seem to hear her. Becky's mind, or heart rather, had become the front line of a remorseful war. Where was he? How could this have happened when WordGirl was around? If only she had been a better friend to him instead of just trying to save her own skin. Frist she had offened her family, then Violet and Tobey, and now Scoops . . .

She had to stop this negative thinking; that wasn't going to find him. She needed to retrace his steps and find where he had gotten lost.

"Violet?" Becky interrupted Violet's rant. "I have to go."

"So soon? But we need to help look for Scoops. He could have gotten lost and is right now walking into so dark scary forest or something!"

"I know, and I will look. But, I want, to go home first. I'm Sorry." Becky knew this was a weak excuse, but what else could she say. She had promised this night to Violet, and now she was running away from looking for their friend.

Violet stood mouth slightly ajar at Becky's attitude, but her position quickly changed: Violet smiled sweetly at Becky.

"Okay Becky, I'll see you later."

. . ?

"What?" Becky couldn't believe what she just heard. A minute ago Violet was demanding she give all her effort to the search and now she was okay with her leaving?

"It's okay Becky, you need to go." Violet stepped back in her room. "I'm going to get my shoes on and help mommy look with Scoops' dad."

Violet went to her closet and prepared to leave never once looking back at Becky. Violet lifted the end of her princess costume and started wiggling her feet into a pair of shoes. Becky on the other hand didn't have time to waste on this awkward exchange of words, WordGirl was needed.

"Come on Bob."

Violet looked up as the two figures fled from her room.

"Don't worry WordGirl, I'll be praying for you."

As Becky was trying to leave the apartment, she happened to catch the eye of Mrs. Heaslip.

"Where are you going Becky?" the woman asked.

"Home."

Becky was out before anyone else could question her. She dashed far out of sight of the Heaslip home before quickly transforming into WordGirl and getting to the sky.

"Word Up!"

Huggy was still struggling with his costume as he shifted around in WordGirl's tight grasp. She was holding him much harder than usual. She must have been nervous.

"I want to check the school first," WordGirl took a hard right. "The only thing that would keep him away from home is work." Huggy spoke in protest, swiftly refuted by WordGirl. "I know his dad already check there, but I need to see it for myself."

The media room of the school house was empty. There wasn't even an indication that someone had been there earlier that day. WordGirl thumbed through the reports scattered across the editor's desk. All of them were mark with Friday's date. Scoops hadn't been here. This fact worried Becky. Why else would he stay away from home?

Just then WordGirl's super hearing picked up a noise in the halls of the school.

"Huggy," The heroine whispered to her sidekick. "Did you hear something?"

The duo went back out into the dark hall of the school. The place looked very different at night. Though Becky knew where she was, it felt like she was standing on a completely different planet. The colorful posters on the wall now were indistinct gray as shadows cast themselves on obscure objects. Even the hall itself looked longer and disfigured by the darkness.

There came a sudden loud bang as a locker somewhere slammed shut. The noise was so surprising that Huggy nearly jumped into WordGirl's arms. The girl then crouched back into the media room to wait and see who might come around the corner.

The beam of a flashlight was the first detectable thing followed by a man's voice.

"Well there's nothing in his locker, so maybe he was here to maybe, pick something up."

"Nah, he would have done that Friday." Came another voice.

Two figures came into view and WordGirl recognized their silhouette immediately; it was the city policemen. They must have come to the school to look for Scoops as well. Hmm, this was a waste of time.

"Let's go Huggy, he's not here."

The heroes made their retreat out the window. WordGirl's next stop was every restaurant from Scoops' street to the horse show grounds. If he had stopped anywhere to eat, someone had to have seen him. But alas, at every store the answer was the same, "No, Scoops never stopped by today, but I'll keep an eye out for him." Scoops hadn't even been seen walking past any of the outdoor venues. How had he walked through town unseen? Due to his paper, everyone knew who he was; someone had to have seen him.

It was now going on ten o'clock, and WordGirl still had yet to find a sign that Scoops was okay. If she really had been the last person to see him, this meant he had been missing for ten hours.

"Where did you go, Scoops?" WordGirl asked as if somehow he would hear. Huggy looked up at the Lexiconian and then back at the streets. He then spoke up telling WordGirl that it would be best to go where she last saw him. "Good idea Huggy."

WordGirl gripped her sidekick tightly as she made her way to the horse show grounds. The first place she looked; that bench.

o.

Tim paced around his living room. It was ten o'clock, what was keeping Becky? She never usually stayed out this late without calling. Maybe the show was running over and the girls forgot to check the time.

"Maybe I should watch some TV, take my mind off of it."

Tim got comfortable on the couch and began flipping through the channels. He might even find that show that the girls liked so much. But that's not what Mr. Botsford found. What he found was a rather unsettling new report involving one of Becky's friends. The news anchor spoke,

"Authorities say they are look for a missing child tonight. The boy was last seen at the horse showing at about noon, and officials say no one was with the child when he left. The boy's information is now on the screen; if you know anything about the case, you are encouraged to call the police department . . ."

As Scoops' picture and information appeared on screen Mr. Botsford felt a sickening feeling over take him.

"Holy tap-dancing bees!" Tim got to his feet. "TJ!" He shouted at the stairs.

TJ shouted something back down to his father, but it was drowned out by the sounds of the phone ringing.

"Get down here, TJ!" Tim called as he hastened to the phone. "Hello?"

"Evening, Mr. Botsford?" the voice was Violet's mother's.

"Hey, did you hear about Scoops?" Tim asked.

"Oh I'm glad Becky told you," the woman breathed a sigh of relief. "I just wanted to make sure she let you know when she got home, we need all the help we can get. Have you been calling people?"

"Huh?" Tim was slightly confused by the conversation. "Becky didn't tell me, I heard it on the news."

"Why didn't she tell you when she got home?"

"Becky's not home yet," dread started to take hold of Tim's voice. "She's still with you isn't she?"

Silence.

"Isn't she?"

"No, Becky left my house at seven-thirty."

Scoops' hat had been found and examined in WordGirl's hand.

"My daughter's not here, where is she!?"

How could WordGirl have missed this?

"I don't know where she is; maybe she went to look for Scoops alone."

His note said he was going to walk home with her; Scoops wasn't going to leave without her.

"No, my daughter would have told us, she's missing!"

That fearful memory of Tuesday . . .

"There's no way two kids would go missing on the same day . . ."

o.

"Yes Tommy, what is your answer?" Beau had asked that morning on his television show.

"Capture means to catch, restrain or even win over like WordGirl does when she beats her opponents."

"That's right Tommy." Beau beamed as he turned to the monkey waiting on stage right. "Huggy show him what he's-"

Tommy interrupted the game show host to add a little more to his definition.

"It can also mean to trap, seize, incarcerate, detain . . ."

"Okay Tommy that's enough."

"Jail, imprison or even kidnap."


	18. on the news

Disclaimer: I don't own WordGirl or Two-Brains or Tobey or Scoops or the henchman . . . this is just a fan fiction.

(A/N) Sorry for such a long wait for this chapter; finals were coming up, I wrote another story and Christmas happened . . . and then I got a new expansion pack for my Sims 2 game. Review old chapters if you need to. Please R & R and enjoy this chap.

* * *

"Authorities say they are looking for a missing child tonight. The boy was last seen at the horse showing at about noon, and officials say no one was with the child when he left. The boy's information is now on the screen; if you know anything about the case, you are encouraged to call the police department . . ."

TV never did much in the way of distracting his minds. It seemed every time he turned on the idiot-box it always brought him more pain then relief. This time was no different. As he looked at the reporter boy's picture his thoughts where wrenched back to WordGirl. That worried image of her haunted him. Not even a mountain of cheese could calm the man trapped inside him.

"In other news," the anchor went on to say. "The Two-Brains threat seemed to be nothing more than just idle words."

Two-Brains threw his remote right into the screen. Unfortunately the screen did not break as he had wanted, so he had to stand to retrieve the remote and turn off the television.

"Stupid light weight remote." The doctor tossed the thing to the sofa and proceeded to his cheese vault. "How dare they claim I'm making idle threats. They should fear me."

"I wonder if WordGirl's okay."

"No I don't care."

The doctor opened his vault, trying his best to ignore the raging battle Prof. Boxleitner was trying to start. But the professor's persistence proved a more problematic propionate. Dr. Two-Brains was at a loss on how to calm that part of himself down and get back to a more serious issue, cheese.

"Why should I care!" He began his convincing. "If someone's out trying to blow WordGirl up, all the better for me. And good riddance to that nosey reporter."

The images of Tuesday only became clearer in the conflicted doctor's minds as he mentioned the journalist. That kid might have died if he wasn't there.

"So why did I do that if I didn't care." His vision of the vault became very blurred. "Because I do care, someone is out there trying to hurt WordGirl, and what better way to get to her than through civilians-"

"No!" Two-brains hissed forcing the thoughts out of his mind. "I am going to work on collecting the city's cheese as planned and be happy that this is distracting that flying nuisance."

"And possibly killing that fly nuisance."

"I don't care."

Two-Brains was momentarily jerked out of his thoughts as the voice of one of his henchmen could be heard.

"You okay, boss?" The man leaned his head around the corner of the vault door.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. If I need you I'll call you. Now-Get-Away-From-Me!"

The man almost tripped over his own feet trying to back away from his boss. He'd never remembered a time when the doctor was this agitated, but it was best not to question his methods now. Maybe he should do something else while his boss had some 'lone time.'

Two-Brains on the other hand, stood gazing at the now open entry way, breathing heavy from his recent outburst. The two desires combating inside him where becoming too much to bear. He didn't want Prof. Boxleitner's dearest friend facing the enemy that attacked her Tuesday alone, but Squeaky wasn't willing to save WordGirl. Where was the happy medium Two-Brains needed? Unexpectedly the high pitch hum of the television could be heard as Two-Brains henchman sat down to watch TV. The machine was still tuned in to the nightly news.

"It appears another child has gone missing tonight," stated the anchor as Two-Brains left his vault to stand behind his henchman. "She was last seen at seven-thirty in this apartment complex." Images of Violet's housing area along with pictures of Becky flashed on the screen. "Investigators are no longer convinced that the two children might have gotten lost."

"I could have told them that." Two-Brains spoke spooking his assistant. "No one has ever gotten lost in this city."

"Really, boss?" The henchman turned up to his superior.

"Well, maybe small children, but they are usually found within the hour. . ." It was at that moment that Two-Brains began to fully understand the meaning of his own words. The anchor continued.

"Due to the nature of this case the mayor has called a press conference happening, right about . . . now." The image on the screen changed to a shot of city hall where the mayor was standing at the podium preparing to speak. He flipped through a few cards. He began his speech.

"Ladies and gentleman it has come to my attention that a possible abduction has happened in our city. Abduction?!" The mayor held the card out at arm's length with a puzzled expression on his face. "We have alien abductions in our city?!"

The crowd, gathered to see the speech, gasped in fear as they turned their gaze upward. It was then the mayor's assistant quickly came alongside the man and corrected his understanding of the word 'abduction.'

The mayor frowned at the definition and went back to thumbing through his cards before becoming too frustrated to read them anymore.

"Oh forget the cards." He spoke gruffly as he turned his full attention to the media. "I don't think I have a speech prepared for this kind of emergency." The mayor's assistant whispered something into his ear before he continued. "Two young people are missing and, there's reason to be believe they've been kidnaped?! We have a crisis on our hands." The mayor seemed as shocked by the information as the media.

A loud murmur rose among the reporters present until one man spoke up.

"Mr. Mayor? What do you believe happened?"

The mayor shrugged instantly not really sure he understood what a kidnapping meant for the city. This kind of thing had never happened before, what was he suppose to do?

"I think the commissioner told me the kids must have been walking home alone and someone kidnapped them." The official answered.

The press gasped and then all at once began bombarding the mayor with questions. The chatter, mixed in with the mayor's confusion about the situation, made the mayor very nervous and somewhat angry.

"Quiet, Please!" The mayor raised his hands and silenced the crowd. "I can't take all this commotion." The man would have loved to take a moment and congratulate himself on the use of his newly found word, but he refused himself such a pleasure. "Being this kidnapper's target seems to be children; I've decided to do something about it."

The crowd murmured again as the mayor took more of his assistance's advice.

"Please settle down. The city is going to close all schools a week early, have the finest police monitoring playgrounds and other child filled places, and do everything we can until the bad guy, or girl, is caught."

"Mr. Mayor?" One of the reporters called out before her colleagues had a chance. "How can you be confident that you can catch this kidnapper? Has our police force ever dealt with this kind of crime before?"

Blank stare.

"Well," the elected official scratched the back of his head as he searched for an answer. "No, I don't think there has ever been a kidnapping before, but I'm sure we can handle it."

"Mr. Mayor?!" Another report shouted. "Are you aware that this is the worst criminal offence that has ever befallen our city?"

At this remark Dr. Two-Brains had seen enough. No criminal was better than him. And kidnapping children just to lure WordGirl out, not even he was that desperate; or at least that's what it appeared this villain was doing.

"I'm the criminal everyone should fear." At this remark Two-Brains felt his old fire burning again. "Henchmen get the van ready; we have a villain to thwart."

"But boss," the vocal henchman stood from the sofa. "Why do you want to stop him?"

"To make me look good of course."

Though he couldn't admit it, Professor Boxleitner could agree with himself on this.

"I'll be helping to save WordGirl yes, but it is so I can prove to this city that I am the number one villain. Me!" Two-Brains laughed as his henchmen quickly got started on setting up the van. "Only I should be the one who finishes WordGirl. I am the worst scoundrel around, and by stopping this pyro-kidnaper the city will see I'm evil enough to have my cheese threats taken seriously. It's the perfect alibi . . . scheme, I mean scheme."

o.

Frustration.

Being grounded always made for the most frustrating, trying, annoying, exasperating, vexing, maddening, irritating evenings.

Was that the best word list he could come up with . . . for now it would have to be, for his mind was preoccupied by the infuriating fact that his mother had grounded him for No Reason. He hadn't built any new robots, he hadn't destroyed the city-He did his chores without being asked for crying out loud! Why Was He Grounded!

Perhaps this wasn't his mother's doing. Liz was probably behind this, using it as a way to get back at him for scaring her on Wednesday. Wasn't his fault she opened the broom closet and a robotic skeleton was there. . . wait, yes it was. But where else was he supposed to put it. Mother was due home at any minute.

Tobey sprang up from the rocking chair, where he sat to sooth his troubles, and bolted to his bedroom door. He planned to give his babysitter a piece of his mind. She had no right to keep him locked in here. Regardless of whether she had mother's neutralizing remote or not, he would make Liz regret having done this to him.

"I'll have you know Liz that you have no hope in keeping a brilliant mind like mine from . . ."

"Dang Tobey!" Liz jumped at the sound of the young man's voice as he stormed into the living room. "I am tryin' to watch TV, shut-up. Man, what is wrong with you children today."

Tobey raised a finger in protest but Liz continued.

"I thought you was supposed to stay in your room all night."

"That is exactly what we must talk about . . ."

"I mean, what do ya think your mom's gunna say when I tell her you didn't stay in your room."

"Mother would never ground me without reason Liz, you're the one-"

"Maybe she grounded you for being an annoying little pest when she's trying to watch her shows!"

That was it. Tobey now had enough anger coursing through his young body to send eighty robots after Liz. How dare she treat him, Theodore Tobey MaCallister III, like he was some mere child. He wouldn't stand for this.

Tobey jumped onto the couch and began wrestling the remote from Liz's hand. The boy pried at the teenager's fingers as she fought vigorously to push him off of her.

"Get off me you little dweeb!" Liz shoved Tobey to the opposite side of the couch and turned back toward the TV. "Aww man, you changed the channel; I missed what happened to Bee and Carl on Frantic Homemakers! Oh, Tobey I'm gunna kill-"

As Liz looked to Tobey it was as if he had seen a ghost. He was staring blankly at the television as if death itself was present on the screen. Liz turned her gaze to the screen and saw that the news was on and that there was a picture of some girl, about Tobey's age. She was missing.

"Well that really blows." The teen remarked off handedly as she switched the channel back to her show.

"Why Did You Do That?!" Tobey hallowed as he again lunged for the remote. Liz extended the remote at arm's length as she raised her foot to hold him back.

"I don't want to watch some depressing junk on the news. They lie about everything anyway. Plus your mom said you can't watch TV."

Tobey quit his assault on his babysitter and sat back; eyes welling with fuming tears.

"If you don't give me that remote right now, I'll show you why mother's had to hire so many different babysitters."

The seriousness of Tobey's tone was enough to get Liz to release her grip on the remote. The boy quickly returned the screen to the news shocking citizens city wide; a kidnapping.

o.

"I have the reporter Adler," Curtis spoke warily into the communicator in his hand; the image of Adler halo-graphically projected in front of him. "He'll be waking up soon and I have him securely locked up."

"Good, I think we're going to need his help more than I anticipated." Adler wasn't looking at the image of his partner. He was busy typing away at the equipment accessible to him through the school. "I've found the whereabouts of the one kid, but WordGirl's information is somehow blocked."

"Uh, Adler?" Curtis played with the device in his hand. "About that other kid you're after. . ."

"I'm going to deal with him right now, it appears he's alone; from there I'll join you."

"But why are you doing this?"

"It's nothing you need to be concerned with Curtis. Just start asking that reporter boy about WordGirl. We've laid off of her long enough." Adler cut the feed.

Curtis slowly placed the device in his pocket and went back to the bedroom where Scoops was being held. The lake house that the two men had taken was now wired with Britannican technology. The house was impenetrable from the outside with a security system strong enough to hold back a Lexiconian armored vehicle. The only thing harder than getting into the house was trying to get out of it. Even basement to the home had been replaced with a complete Britannican underground computer networking base; a center Curtis was afraid to hide Scoops in due to High Law. Honestly, everything Curtis and Adler had done to the home was against High Law.

Scoops had been laid out on one of the room's beds to rest. Curtis decided it would be best to let the boy wake up on his own to which Scoops was doing now. The young reporter half-lidded his eyes as he slowly sat up. He was slightly confused by his surroundings as his mind fought to sort the events of that afternoon.

"Where am I?" Scoops' focus soon fell on Curtis who stood motionless at the door. "You!" The boy's weariness melted away as the memory of being kidnapped hit him. "You kidnapped me!"

Curtis watched as the child threw the sheets off, jumped from the bed and took a serious pose in front of him.

"I demand you take me back immediately."

Curtis took another moment to stare down at the child before stepping into the room fully and shutting the door. Scoops wasn't intimidated by this gesture at all; there was no way this man was going to take his story.

"I said I want to go back now."

"Sit down."

"No, I want to go home!"

"I said, Sit Down!"

This tone did frighten Scoops, at least enough to get him to comply with the command. Curtis remained still as the boy glared at him from his position on the bed. The boy must have been upset and Curtis couldn't blame him. But that didn't really matter right now. Curtis knew that once Adler got all the information he wanted out of this kid, he'd kill 'em. High Law did not permit the people of Earth to have this much contact with anyone from any other planet. To keep Adler's record clean, Scoops would have to die.

For some reason, it didn't seem so bad at first. Killing was a part of war and it wasn't like some eleven year old would really be missed; that's why he could rig the club to explode with the boy in it. But this seemed to be taking it too far. It wasn't like this child was unfortunately next to their target during battle, he was out having a fun day when he was kidnapped and killed. Curtis would have to look into his eyes as he killed him.

"If you want me to tell you who WordGirl is so you can steal my story, well, you can just forget it." Scoops was trying to appear fearless, a futile effort.

This made Curtis feel even worse. Why did being a loyalist mean he had to hurt children? Couldn't they just threaten him and send him home? Stupid probably would be too scared to tell anyone anyway. . . and, he couldn't kill . . . not the child from the picture.

"Todd," Curtis quickly came to Scoops and bent to his level. "This isn't about getting a story."

"What are you . . ?"

"I'm not a reporter, neither of us are."

"I'm confused."

Curtis sighed. What was he doing? If Adler found out . . .

"Listen to me boy, any minute now Adler is going to return and try to get you to tell him who WordGirl is. You Can't tell him." Curtis grabbed Scoops' arms to force the child to focus on him and see the severity of his words. "If you tell Adler anything he will kill WordGirl, and then he will kill you."

Scoops searched the man's face looking for any hint that this was a joke. The young reporter could feel his heart quicken its pace as Curtis continued.

"Do you know what 'status-quo' means?"

The boy shook his head.

"It means that as long as Adler thinks you know valuable information, he won't kill you. You need to make him think you are worth keeping alive. Do you know WordGirl's secret identity?"

Scoops was feeling so uneasy. They wanted to kill him? What had he done? He didn't want to die; He didn't want to drown.

"No! I don't know anything please let me go." Scoops began to struggle against Curtis' grasp, but the man only tightened his hold on the boy.

"Stop that!"

"Let me go!"

Scoops began kicking at Curtis forcing the man to lose his grip on the boy. Quickly Scoops rose from the bed and dashed for the door. His right arm, however, was promptly snatched by Curtis and his body was forcibly brought back to its former position.

"Listen to me," Curtis shook Scoops lightly to scare him stiff. "Whether you leave now or not Alder will find you and bring you back. The best card you have to play here, is to keep the status-quo; got it?"

o.

His mother had grounded him for his own protection, or at least that's what Liz had said. His mother didn't want him to worry, so she called Liz from work and told her Tobey was grounded; as simple as that.

Worry? This feeling was beyond worry.

Had Becky really been kidnapped? Did he really care?

Tobey had never heard about this kind of thing before; it had never happened in this city. Sure adults told kids not to go out late at night, but that was because the kid could become lost or get hurt. But kidnapped?

Tobey looked to the bookcase of his room; the dictionary apprehensively waiting to be read. Tobey went and thumbed through its pages until his finger came to rest on the word:

Kidnap- transitive verb-etymology: formation from kidnapper, from kid plus obsolete napper: thief- to seize and detain or carry away by unlawful force or fraud and often with a demand for ransom.

Tobey knew the definition of this word; he just didn't want to believe that's what it meant. The boy sat in his rocking chair staring at the letters on the page until the words began to make about as much sense as the confusing feelings raging inside him. Nonsense- these words meant nothing.

Why would someone want to take Becky, oh, and that other kid? Becky's parents weren't rich; maybe it was because Becky's mom was the district attorney. But then why hadn't the ransom been asked for yet.

"This book is worthless!"

Tobey threw the dictionary as hard as he could; harder than he thought he could. The dictionary crashed into the bookshelf knocking most of its content to the floor.

Tobey was startled by the events resulting from his outburst. Tobey looked at the only two books remaining on the shelf; the 'K' encyclopedia and his WordGirl scrapbook.

Maybe the encyclopedia would have a better explanation. Sadly its examples were just of political figure heads being taken for opinionated demands on government.

Useless. There was no ransom or political gain. The last book on his shelf didn't appear to be able to give him any clarification.

WordGirl. Looking at that scrapbook made Tobey wonder about his concern for Becky. When he had first meet her, he could have sworn she fit the profile for WordGirl and, despite their rather rocky start, he had to admit she was . . .but now that she was missing, he just felt perplexed. Should he be doing something? WordGirl probably was. WordGirl would definitely find her so there really wasn't a need to get all worked up . . . it was just that they seemed to be getting to a place where, maybe they could forget about that giant misunderstanding and just be friends. A small smile found its way onto his lips as the events of Monday afternoon passed through his mind . . .

Right now Tobey needed to clean his room and stop thinking about trivial things like Becky. There was nothing he could do to help his 'friend' now. It wasn't like he was some kind of hero, nor was Becky truly his friend. It would be foolish for him to risk getting himself kidnapped over her. . .right? To look for her meant that, Becky wasn't just. . .

The boy knelt in front of the bookshelf and began placing books back in their respectable order when he noticed one of the books had fallen open. Its highlighted text caught his attention immediately.

"_Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."_

John 15:13.


	19. Glinting

Disclaimer: I don't own WordGirl; this is a fanfiction.

A/N: This is a relatively sad chapter with some mild peril. Just given a heads up.

* * *

She stood there. The wind listlessly combed through the exposed threads of her hair as well as pull at the trim of her cape. Her face had lost its readability as she stared at the hat she had found behind the bench.

Huggy didn't know what she was thinking, but he knew his guesses couldn't be too far off. She blamed herself. Something bad had happened to Scoops, and it was WordGirl's fault for not being there. She knew that someone very dangerous was at large, they had tried to kill her before, and now, due to her incompetence, Scoops was gone.

What could he say to comfort her? Huggy could do nothing but wait.

WordGirl's eyes would no longer allow her to read the note left by her friend.

Sigh.

"I have to find him."

Scoops' hat tightly clenched in her hand, WordGirl flew off forgetting both her catchphrase and her sidekick.

Captain HuggyFace cried out in hopes WordGirl would hear him, but alas she was out of ear shot. He would have to walk. And being it was so late at night the buses would have stopped their runs. Not to mention that WordGirl was way too troubled to respond to a call on their communicator belts. Could tonight get any worse?

There was a clap of thunder as the sky suddenly changed to a dark black. Rain began to pour as the monkey breathed an exasperated sigh. He'd have to walk all the way home and in the rain.

Across town a similar scene was playing out.

It had taken all of Tobey's cunning to trick Liz into telling him where his mother kept the neutralizing remote. And now, when he had full use of his robots again, it had started to rain.

The robot Tobey had been using now lay on the ground, sputtering and sparking as its gears rusted to a halt. Now how was he supposed to look for Becky? By foot? But what other choice did he have. Sooner or later his mother would be home to find Liz tied to the stair railing and she would come out looking for him. He probably should have left a robot there to guard Liz, but it didn't seem necessary at the time.

Maybe this whole idea was stupid.

Tobey stood outside the ice-cream shop he and Becky had eaten at yesterday. It was kind of an illogical hope, but he had half believed Becky might be there. That's where he had last seen her, but it wasn't like he was looking for a lost socket wrench; Becky was bound to walk away at some point. Tobey needed to think more like a villain . . . well, more villainously than usual. If he were a kidnapper, where would he take his victim?

This was pointless! There was no way for him to know. And thanks to this random storm, he was going to have to walk all the way home in the pouring rain; alone.

Dr. Two-Brains was just as frustrated as the boy genius and monkey were. Looking for a kidnapper was like removing cheese from a mouse trap; there was no way of doing it without getting snapped. If Two-Brains was too extreme in his search methods he would run the risk of the police catching him, but sneaking around wasn't bearing any results. Two-Brains needed to lore his villain out, but how? Obviously this person was after WordGirl, but if the kidnapper really wanted to get her attention, why didn't they hold the kid for ransom? WordGirl would have come to his aid immediately. Something wasn't adding up.

"Have you found anything boys?" Two-Brains called out in the warehouse he now stood in. He chose to start his search here due to the fact his own evil hideout was in such a place.

"Not yet boss!" The henchman's voice was distant; he was deep within the facility.

The mousey villain looked back out of the warehouse's door to see the rain beginning to fall.

"Maybe this kidnapper doesn't like warehouses, but where else would he hide?"

If the kidnapper went somewhere too public he was bound to be caught. Maybe that was just what the kidnapper wanted people to think so they wouldn't look for him there... perhaps searching was the wrong approach. Too bad the country club was gone; Two-Brains could have searched the place for clues.

The rain continued to intensify as the doctor concerned himself with the questions of his minds. But even lost in his train of thought, Two-Brains was able to make out a figure walking in the down pour.

"Wait a minute," the doctor squinted as the silhouette became more clear. "That's, that monkey fellow, Captain HugFeast." The doctor smiled wickedly as an idea popped into his head. "If I use that monkey to lore WordGirl to me, then the kidnapper will have to come to me to get to her. Genius. Boys!" Two-Brains hollered to his henchmen. "Stay here, I'll be back."

The rain was cold.

Tobey couldn't help but stop his journey home. For now, he would wait under the overhang of one of the apartment buildings. It was eerie how quiet it was tonight. He had only passed one other person on the street that night, and that man seemed even creepier then the silence.

Thinking of that man made Tobey look back the way he had come. He suddenly felt like he was being followed. Why had he started this escapade? He'd never read that Bible before; of course the first bit of advice it gave him would get him killed. What if the kidnapper was after him!?

Tobey closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There was no need to worry. He was a genius, he could handle any stupid threat that came his way . . . of course, he wouldn't mind if someone could join him out here.

Lightning? There was a sudden flash in the sky as something appeared to be flying by. WordGirl? A large smile plastered itself onto Tobey's face. She'd be able to help him find Becky. But she was too high to hear him call and too fast to see him. He needed a better way of getting her attention.

And, as if noticing Tobey's lonely state, opportunity came knocking. Out of the corner of his eye, Tobey noticed the solitary figure of Captain HuggyFace and the perfect attention getter of WordGirl.

"WordGirl won't go too long without that monkey," Tobey began to cross the street to confront Huggy. "She'll come back to him eventually and then I can ask her."

Huggy stopped his traveling when he noticed the boy coming toward him. What on Earth could that selfish brat want now? And why was he out here so late?

"You, monkey!" Tobey called as he finished his jog over to Huggy.

Huggy waited as patiently as he could while Tobey caught his breath. Tobey had to be one of his least favorite people to associate with. The boy's temper was shorter than a toddler's attention span and he was constantly causing trouble just to hang around WordGirl. Tobey only wanted to speak to him to get to her. But maybe he should at least humor the boy . . . perhaps he could get the child to give him a ride home.

"You've got to know where WordGirl is. We got to get her attention. Get her somehow." Tobey gasped. His heart was beginning to slow back to its regular speed. "Are you listening to me?"

Huggy looked up into the pleading eyes of Tobey just in time to see a dreadfully familiar face appearing behind the boy. Tobey quit his rant upon the disfigurement of fear washing over the animal before him. That's when Tobey heard a foreign click come from behind him.

He turned.

The rain spattering around them washing away the world. With senses dulled, all Tobey could see was the glinting object Adler expended out in front of himself. The boy did not know this man, nor that weapon, nor the reason. This silent moment froze time; man and child.

The man's finger firmly wrapped around the trigger.

"Good-bye your Highness."

"No!"

Everything seemed to happen in a flash. A streak of white, a cry, a loud bang; the ringing in Tobey's ears was all he could hear as the image of two men fighting over the loud weapon came into focus.

Tobey was shocked to see that Dr. Two-Brains had come to his rescue. The mousy villain had knocked Adler to the ground and was trying to pry the weapon out of his hands. It was such an intense struggle; Tobey's eyes began to play tricks with his mind, it appeared that the rain was tainted with a crimson hue. Was this really happening? What, was happening? He . . . couldn't . . . thinking it through, He-

The noise the two men were making caught the attention of someone in the apartment building across the street. The shutters to one of the third story windows flew open.

"Keep it down out there!" Tobey recognized that voice, it was Granny May. "Some of us are trying to rob places over here." The elder woman could not fully make out what was happening in the rain. It kind of looked like Dr. Two-Brains was rolling in the puddles while trying to chew the hands off some other guy. And was that Tobey? "Why do scientific geniuses always have to be so strange?" Granny May raised an eyebrow as she watched the scene.

At that moment it was as if Tobey was trying to call out to her, but his voice had lost its place within his fear. His eyes began to react as tears of pure confusion ran down his face, but went unnoticed as they mixed with the rain.

Granny May watched as the strange man took a sucker punch into Two-Brains arm. The punch didn't look very intense from her position, but it was clear that it had caused the doctor severe pain. Two-Brains relinquished his hold on the man as he grabbed the afflicted area on his arm. He was being such a cry baby . . . or was he.

Just as the doctor removed his hand from his wound to examine it, he and Granny May both saw the source of true affliction. It was also in this moment that Huggy snapped out of the trance he had found himself in.

The monkey began screaming to the top of his lungs, waving and pointing at Adler who now had repositioned his weapon back on Tobey. Without hesitation, Granny May pulled the kiting needles from her hair striking them together to form a strand of yarn that shot out from the ends of them. Her aim was a bit off as she couldn't make out the exact location of the man, but she could see the shining metal perfectly, so she made it her target. The yarn dashed through the cold, wet air until it had wrapped itself around the arm and weapon of Adler.

Adler immediately began pulling at his entanglement with his free hand.

"You better run babies!" Granny May's voice echoed off the buildings surrounding the group in the street. "Granny's not staying around for when the police come!"

Several windows in the apartment buildings began to light up as their occupants where awaken by all the noise. Shoots and shouts; the residence of this area could no longer pretend the sounds were being made on accident; there had to be something serious outside. Two-Brains was still kneeling on the ground as he once more covered the bleeding wound on his arm.

Tobey still stood in shock watching the crimson ribbon through the water at his feet; blood that was not his own, but was his saving grace.

The boy wasn't left with much time to think; Captain HuggyFace grabbed Tobey's wrist and began pulling him away with vicious intensity. Tobey couldn't move, he looked back at the man who had now managed to wiggle his arm free from its confines.

"I'm going to kill you, Theodore." The man spoke calmly and frankly. "I can hunt you, as long as you are here, there is nowhere to run."

Huggy then began screaming something in his monkey language. Tobey never removed his eyes from the man. This evil person fixed his gaze on Huggy; a gaze of recognition.

"You," The man rose to his feet. "You had the princess."

Adler was unable to take another step toward the two as something came from behind him and kicked out his legs.

"Tobey, get away from here!"

Dr. Two-Brains snapped at Tobey as he once more lunged for the weapon in Adler's hand. The two men continued to brawl as the boy and monkey made a hasty retreat.

Two-Brains might have been hurt, but there was no way this new up-start villain was going to come into this city and kill anyone, least of all a child. . . To be honest, Two-Brains couldn't quite put a finger on why he was saving Tobey. He was a bad guy, but he never wanted to hurt anyone . . . well aside from stealing from them, and attacking WordGirl, but that's an entirely different story; she was a superhero who was able to fight back. But a child standing helplessly in the street? Something inside of the doctor just couldn't allow it to happen. . . It was the same feeling that over took him at the lake. It was the whole reason he was out here.

Dr. Two-Brains was finally able to rip the firearm out of Adler's hand. With it he scrambled away from the man and got to his feet. The doctor held the weapon toward Adler in hopes of intimidating him. It was time to get some answers.

"You apparently don't even know what that is." Adler spat from his seated position.

"If this thing's anything like a ray gun," Two-Brains taunted as he loomed over the snarling man. "I'm certain I can figure it out."

"And then what, old man?" Adler spoke with a slight grin.

Old Man!?

"What do you mean old!? I'm not old! I'll have you know I'm in the prime of my life."

"With white hair? I'm forty and I don't even have one grey hair."

"Well whoop-dee-doo for you," Two-Brains scoffed as he took a firmer hold on the weapon. "I bet you're 'young' enough to still learn new tricks, too."

"Just one," as Adler made this statement several sirens sounded as four police cars surrounded the two men. "And if I'm not mistaken, possession is nine-tenths of the law."

Two-Brains dropped the gun in realization, but it was too late. The police had seen him standing over this fallen man holding a weapon; there was only one thing they could assume.

"Freeze Two-Brains!" One of the officers screamed through a megaphone. "You're under arrest."

Two police officers quickly handcuffed the doctor as two others went to assist Adler.

"This man attacked me," Adler wasted no time in building a story. "I saw him aiming that thing at a child and I came to stop him, but he was crazy."

"Lies!" Two-Brains was hushed by the commissioner who had just stepped out of his car; Adler was permitted to continue, hamming up his performance as much as possible.

"The little boy went running as I fought for that weapon in his hand, but I, a citizen of this overly naïve city, had never seen such a thing before. As I tried to take it from him, it let out a loud noise. He had accidently hurt his poor mousy self. I was so scared. The boy was too. The poor . . . reporter boy if I'm not mistaken."

Two-Brains then anticipated what Adler was doing. He was going to pin the kidnapping on him! Not only would Two-Brains be locked up for the use of a firearm, something he still wasn't certain about, he would be incarcerated until he gave the location of Scoops; a location he didn't have.

"I object!" Two-Brains hollered; weariness in his voice. "I never kidnapped that kid, and this man was the one trying to kill Tobey. Ask the neighborhood, they had to see something!"

A paramedic then arrived on the scene. The commissioner ordered Two-Brains' arm be examined while his team surveyed the residents. The neighbors gave similar stories,

"I heard a loud 'Bang,' but I wasn't sure what it could be. Maybe someone's car just backfired, but then I heard screaming. When I opened my window I did see someone running away. They were small enough to be a child and maybe his pet dog. I saw one man standing over the other so I called the police."

"This man's story checks out," the commissioner pointed to Adler as he approached the group of officers. "It only makes sense that a villain would do something this bad. I only want to know why."

All the officers turned to look at Two-Brains, but all the mousy villain could see was the ever growing grin on Adler's face. How he hated that man. . . Wait! Were they letting him go!?

Two of the officers patted Adler on the back congratulating him for his heroism as he began walking off.

"You can't let him leave!" Two-Brains had to be held back. "He'll go after Tobey!"

"Knock it off rogue," The commissioner barked at the doctor. "It's bad enough you're kidnapping children to dig in your cheese mines; don't make it worse by harassing the populous."

Several of the officers looked to each other with questioning looks. Cheese mines? But it was best not to argue when serious matters were taking place.

"Harassing!?" Two-Brains could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"Yes, you know, irritating people or being annoying and pesky when they don't deserve it."

By this time Adler was gone. There was nothing Two-Brains could do. Hopefully HuggyPants could get Tobey to safety. For now, Two-Brains could only hope the interrogation and crime scene investigation could clear his name.

As the doctor was placed in the back of a cop car, the commissioner was approached by one of the investigators.

"Sir," she asked holding the weapon in her gloved hand. "Does this look like a gun to you?"

"Goodness, it does!" The man leaned in closer to inspect it. "I haven't seen one of these in this city since. . . well I've never seen one in this city. Not even the squad carries them around anymore."

The commissioner wasn't allotted much time to question the gun's presence. Running down the street shouting as he came, was a very frantic looking citizen.

"Help!" the man yelled as he came up to the commissioner. "Are you the police?"

"Yes, yes we are. What's your emergency?" the whole squad looked at the man and waited for his response.

"You're really the police?" the man smiled broadly, he'd never found the police on the first try before. This had to be the happiest day of his life . . . now what did he need to tell them. "I think I forgot what I was coming to tell you, sorry."

Just then, the radio in the patrol car crackled to life with another report. The dispatcher had given the address to yet another missing child. She continued,

"The boy, age eleven, wearing a blue and orange top with shorts on, is named Tobey MacCallister. He is a blonde haired caucasian. He was last seen at his home by his babysitter. There is reason to believe his disappearance is in connection with the other missing children."

"By Jove!" the commissioner turned to look back at Two-Brains. "I think he's got it!"

"Got what sir?" one of the officers asked.

"Two-Brains mentioned this missing boy's name, a description that Adler fellow did not give. Adler said it was the other kid he saw. This means that a lie has been told here!"

Gasp!

"Two-Brains isn't kidnapping children! He's luring them to his mines with a piper's pipe! Just like in the story 'The Pied Piper.'" The commissioner called out.

"But sir, he isn't playing a pipe." The officer looked at Two-Brains shaking his head despairingly.

"Don't you get it?" The commissioner pressed his face against the glass of the car to get a better look at his captive. "He was attacking the reporter boy for escaping his mines while his evil henchmen were playing the pipe that got Tobey. His terror must be stopped."


	20. Daymares

Disclaimer: I don't own WordGirl, this is a fanfiction based on the show.

A/N: Sorry I have not thanked everyone who posted a signed review. Please know I appreciate and have read them all. Might next couple of updates might be slow; there's this crazy thing called 'school' and its keeping me really busy. I'm very sorry to make you all wait. Enjoy the chapter and R&R.

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He . . . was out, of breath. That monkey had been pulling on him for what felt like hours now. His heart wanted to burst from all the stress suddenly placed on it, his legs burned and felt filled with lead. Even his own beads of sweat seemed to hurt as he allowed his body to be lead by the small animal. He couldn't stop, oh, but how he wanted to.

Captain HuggyFace had been dragging Tobey as far away from Adler as he possibly could. He had to get away from that face, that smile . . . Huggy sent a worried glance behind the boy to find that they were not being followed. He then sent his gaze up to rest on the flushed face of Tobey. The kid looked as if he might faint if he were pushed any further. So Huggy slowed their pace to a hurried walk.

"Where," Tobey gasped. "Are we, going to? I, I've got to find Becky."

All Tobey got in response was a soft chirp from the monkey. This only added to the boy's aggravation. Tobey yanked his arm from Huggy's hand and proceeded to the curb to sit. Huggy screamed at Tobey in protest, but the boy only crossed his arms.

"I'm too tired to keep running."

The boy couldn't be serious; that man was trying to kill him! Huggy screamed again and went to Tobey's hand to pull on him again.

"Leave me alone you . . . animal."

The sky was black.

On the streets there wasn't a sign of life anywhere. Lights glowed faintly from the street lamps only providing enough light to see one's next step in the rain. The vacated buildings seemed to moan in their loneliness as what appeared to be a single shooting star fell from the heavens; perhaps WordGirl still in a panic.

Huggy looked at the boy. How could he not have seen it before? Theodore MacCalister III; What were the odds that a living heir to the Britannican throne would reside in the same city he had crash landed in. Huggy was overwhelmed.

That man, that tried to kill Tobey; though he had aged, it was clear that he was the same man that had allowed Huggy to escape with Becky years ago. This man had come to finish what he started. He was going to kill the royal family . . . and now, thanks to Tobey, Huggy knew why he had let them go. This man let them leave so that he could track them down in the future and kill them. He wanted to be king of Britannica and this would be a sure fire way of doing it since there was no heir . . . but now,

Tobey was here. The king of Britannica had only one child, a son, but he died at age twenty-eight with no children . . . well obviously not. Something historically wasn't making any sense. How would the grandson of the king be on Earth? Did someone bring him here for his own protection? Maybe that was it, a CRA agent must have brought him here, but why? All children were supposed to be taken to the neutral state Thesauria.

Regardless, the real issue at hand was that some man was after Tobey and Becky and he wouldn't stop until he finished his mission . . . maybe it was time Huggy finished his.

Huggy began waving his arms at Tobey. The young genius raised an eyebrow just as his body was beginning to relax from its overexertion.

"You stupid monkey." Tobey removed his glasses and quickly dried them of the rain on a corner of his shirt. "We need to do something about that man before he hurts somebody, mainly me."

Huggy grabbed onto Tobey's arm and again started pulling.

"I told you to let go of me!" Tobey yanked his arm free. "I'm going to look for Becky. Even if I have to search all night to find her." The boys got to his feet and began marching off as Huggy rolled his eyes.

The monkey needed to think of something to get the boy to listen to him. It was clear Tobey didn't fully understand the severity of the situation he was now in. Hmm . . . WordGirl! Tobey would stay with him if he could promise him a visit with WordGirl. Perfect!

The monkey ran out in front of the boy and began his game of charades. Tobey only watched in confusion until Huggy produced a picture of the beloved heroine from within his costume. Though Tobey would deny it, a grin plastered itself to his face.

"Are you saying WordGirl is looking for Becky?"

Huggy nodded knowing full well that was a lie, but whatever it took right?

"Is it possible for me to assist her?"

Nod.

"Well, where is she?"

Huggy pointed out toward the bay. Due to the rain one could hardly see the horizon apart from the water making the waters look quite ominous. Tobey questioned the monkey.

"I'm not going to go drown out in the ocean."

Huggy smacked his head in frustration, but continued to gesture out into the water. It was then Tobey remembered there was an island a little ways out from the shore. Maybe WordGirl was there . . . but how was he supposed to get there?

"So what you're trying to say, assuming monkeys can think linguistically at all, is that WordGirl is on that island?" Nod. "And I'm supposed to get there, how?"

Huggy couldn't appreciate Tobey's sarcasm, but he could stew over that later when someone wasn't trying to kill the boy. Huggy grabbed Tobey's arm and began leading him out to the shore. Tobey followed this time, a bit slower than before, but defiantly an improvement when compare to standing still.

Standing on the shore line made the bay look even creepier. The water mirrored the black sky above to create the effect of black paint washing over the sands of the shore. It was almost like looking at the edge of a flat world.

"We're going to go out there?!" Tobey almost couldn't believe what Huggy was asking him to do.

The little monkey was currently climbing onto the dock to retrieve a small row boat tied at its end.

"Forget it monkey," Tobey crossed his arms and turned to head back up the beach. "I'm not dim enough to row out there, and in the middle of a rain storm to boot."

Huggy screamed in objection, but the boy ignored his every cry. Tobey was off the beach and back on the street in no time. There was no way he was going to row out into the middle of the bay, especially with a monkey at the helm.

"Stupid animal's trying to get me killed. I'll take my chances with the weapon wheedling maniac if you don't mind." Tobey sent a quick glance behind him to see if the monkey might be following. The silly thing wasn't. Good.

As Tobey faced forward again, he was startled by a new face crouching in front of him.

"Well, evening there young man." The woman spoke to him in a soft, inviting tone. "I hope you don't think me rude, but I couldn't help but over hear your dilemma; a crazy gun wheedling lunatic, eh? Maybe I can help you, my name's Nona."

At first Tobey was startled by the woman's sudden appearance, but Tobey quickly settled his nerves and sized the woman before speaking.

"I don't need your help." Tobey tried to push past the woman but she blocked his path and remained in front of him.

"I wish that were true Mr. MacCallister, but I'm afraid circumstances are against us." Nona reached out and moved a patch of Tobey's matted hair out of his eyes, in a motherly kind of way.

"How do you know my name . . ?" Tobey stopped his desperate attempt to leave.

"Come come little dear." The odd woman began walking toward the beach, twirling an umbrella over her head as if performing in a dance routine. She skipped and began humming a familiar tune. . . All of Tobey's better judgment told him to leave this loon, but there was something about that lady that felt . . . familiar and yet, very, very distant. Maybe it would be okay to follow, if she was going to help him get to WordGirl that is. Tobey ran to catch up with the woman. Tobey watched the woman trying to place where he might have seen her before. It would also be helpful to know how she knew he'd be here. This wasn't something normal people did.

Just as the young genius caught up to Nona, she stopped. She was watching Captian HuggyFace give up his futile efforts of untiring the boat.

"Roget!" The cry was a happy one. The woman dropped her umbrella to scoop the monkey up in her arms. The monkey seemed pleased to see her as well, and Tobey just felt confused. Who was this lady? "It has been too long my dear friend."

Huggy chirped back at the lady and they both shared a long embrace. At long last Nona held Huggy out so she could see his face. She didn't even seem disturbed by the fact that she was getting soaking wet. She stood listening to Huggy for quite a long time as the monkey rambled on about something in his animal language. They then shared another long embrace.

Tobey causally came alongside the duo and retrieved the umbrella for his own. Finally being out of the rain, Tobey dried his glasses again; wet lenses made it so much more difficult to see. As the frames were put back on his face, Nona leaned in very closely to Tobey's face startling the boy once more.

"So Adler found out you were here huh?"

"Who? What are you talking about?" Tobey took a step back to lessen the woman's proximity.

"The man who just tried to kill you; did he find out your secret identity? How about your mother; is she still hiding?"

Huggy then popped in between the two, chirping and babbling in his monkey language. Tobey could only wonder what it was the monkey was telling Nona. She seemed to understand him. Maybe this lady was from Lexicon . . . was WordGirl's whole planet out on that island?

"Will someone tell me what's going on here?!" Tobey was losing his patience.

Huggy finished his thought before Nona spoke on his behalf.

"Sorry Mr. MacCallister," Nona reached out to brush some of Tobey's wet hair from his face, but the boy blocked her hand. "Roget . . . I mean, Captain HuggyFace tells me that you don't have the slightest as to why Adler wants to kill you." Tobey could see Huggy roll his eyes at the woman's explanation, but the woman kept on speaking. "And for your own protection we'll keep it that way."

"My protection!? Shouldn't I know why someone wants to kill me!?"

"Now, now, Mr. MacCallister. No need to get all huffy."

"Huffy? I'm not huffy!"

"Well, you look pretty offended and annoyed to me. That's what huffy means you know."

"No, I'm livid. I want to find WordGirl so that I can help find my friend and if you can't help me do that . . ."

"I promise you Mr. MacCallister, finding Miss. Botsford is on my highest priority list."

"How did you know . . ."

"But first things first; we need to get you somewhere where Adler can't find you; and then get WordGirl to follow." The last part Nona said more to herself. The woman turned back to the monkey beside her. "Roget, eh, Huggy (it's going to take me a great deal of time to adjust to that name) can you get in contact with WordGirl and have her 'meet' us someplace."

Huggy smiled and pointed out over the water. Nona tried to follow his gaze. She couldn't make out what it was he was pointing at, but listened closely as Huggy explained. The more Huggy spoke, the more Nona seemed to agree, and the more worried Tobey became. What was he doing? He needed to find Becky. This woman and monkey were wasting his time. Frustration gripped the boy as he fought within himself on the issue of leaving. This was all too weird; maybe he should have stayed home.

His mother must be worried about him by now; it was going on Sunday morning. She would be out looking for him . . . hopefully. . . Wait, this Nona person had mentioned his mother; was his mother hiding?

"What about my mother?"

"Huh?" Tobey's words had broken the conversion between Nona and Huggy. "Whatever do you mean, Mr. MacCallister?"

"Stop calling me that, my name's Tobey." The boy allowed his frustration to coat his tone. "You mentioned my mother. You said she was in hiding. What are you talking about?"

"Well I," Nona glanced back at Huggy for support but was brought back to face Tobey as he made his demand again. "I'm sorry to worry you Mr. Mac . . . Tobey, but you needn't worry about your mother. I assure you she'll be fine. Adler isn't going to go after her and your safe with me."

"That doesn't explain anything!"

Nona looked out in the direction of the bay. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small remote of some kind. It looked more sophisticated than the ones Tobey ordered for his robots; of course he wasn't going to tell her that.

"So, Tobey," Nona spoke. "Have you lived in this city your whole life?"

"Maybe."

"I'll take that as a yes," Nona smile pressing a few buttons on the remote. "So you've only seen row boats here?"

"No, motor boats have been around forever. What do you think I am, slow on the uptake?"

"Thank heavens; I'd hate to have to use a row boat."

There came a roar of an engine as a bright light was cast over the water in the small group's direction. Tobey could have guessed it was a speed boat, but its shape was unlike any boat he had ever seen. . . And it was racing their way!

"Stop the boat or it's going to crash into us!"

"Oh you silly boy." Nona giggled as the machine rapidly approached.

Well Tobey had no desire to be mowed over by a water vessel. The eleven year old ran up the shore several yards away from Huggy and Nona. He closed his eyes at the would-be moment of impact, but no such moment occurred. As the boy opened his eyes, the boat was resting perfectly still in the shallow waters in front of Nona; a boat which the likes of he'd never seen.

"Well Ahoy there landlubber!" Nona called out to Tobey. "We be shovin' off if ya'r interested? Arrg"

Was he really going to get in that boat? Was this lady really taking him to WordGirl or was she working for 'Adler?' And more importantly, did she just 'arrg' at him?

It would be foolish to try and walk home alone while Adler was still out looking for him, and Captian HuggyFace wouldn't lie to him. Even though this would probably end up being the biggest mistake of his life, Tobey found himself joining the woman-monkey team in traversing the black waters.

It was dismaying out on the water. There was nothing for miles around, just the boat and its engine's low hum. Tobey looked to Nona who had focused her full attention out into the bay, as if she could see the island they were heading too. Huggy did the same. It didn't take long for Tobey to notice that neither of them was driving the boat, but they didn't seem too worried. Nona was the first to break the silence of the morning.

"I'm so happy to see you alive, Roget," she looked down at the monkey. "For years I thought you and the princess were dead." The monkey chirped back to which Nona responded with a light laugh. "I can't believe you thought I was dead. I'm from Thesauria; they never would have killed me." Huggy made another response; Nona looked out over the water as she commented back. "The Britannican soldiers seemed to know the exact location of the safe room. King Flaccus and his family didn't have a chance. I was so heartbroken when Prince Marcus came back into the room. I was taken away before I could learn the fate of you, the princess or prince Caxton." Huggy responded somberly. "Oh, I see."

Nona returned to silent reflection. Tobey wasn't certain what they were talking about. None of it seemed to make any sense, but then again, what did in this moment? The group remained quiet until the island came into view.

"We're almost there Tobey." Nona smiled. "Are you, worried about anything?"

"I'm worried about my friend whom you still haven't helpped me find."

"Tobey," Nona sighed as the boat slowed its speed to dock on the shoreline of the island. "I know tonight's been very mean to you, and there will be no lack of joy when all these dark matters are settled, but for now I need you to trust me. Everything is going to be fine."

Tobey glared at the woman. She had taken a standing position and had offered her hand to help Tobey up. The boy merely stared at her, almost daring her to touch him. It was clear he didn't trust her. He was only doing this because Huggy was here, and that meant WordGirl was here. The heroine he could trust. Nona sighed again as her hand fell to her side. The woman stepped off the boat and onto the sand.

"Huggy?" the woman waved to the monkey. "I've packed a lot of supplies in the boat."

Huggy jumped out to join her and they spoke on for a while as they walked. Tobey remained in the boat clutching the umbrella he still possessed from earlier. The rain wasn't as bad out here, but it was still enough to irritate his vision. It was olnesome sitting on the boat being bobbed about by the waves. He did eventually follow the two out into the wooded island. He kept his distance as the two babbled on about what he could only guess was Lexicon.

Just as the rain ceased, Tobey's eyes were met with the most amazing sight.

"Is this WordGirl's ship!?"

Of course it had to be! Tobey ran ahead of the two adult figures to examine the ship himself. He just couldn't believe that he was standing close to, no, touching WordGirl's ship!

Sigh.

Tobey's blushing checks did not go unnoticed as Huggy grunted in disapproval. Nona only laughed.

"With that kind of 'enthusiasms' we could end the war with one big ceremony."

Huggy again made his criticism to such a remark while the metaphor went over Tobey's head.

"Well Tobey," Nona stood before Tobey and bent down to his eye level. "Would you like a tour inside?"

"Would I ever!"

"Huggy why don't you show him around while we wait for WordGirl to arrive. I'll go get the supplies, eh?" Nona winked at her monkey companion.

"Supplies?" the boy pulled on Nona's sleeve to gain her attention again. "Why do we need supplies? We need to go out and look for Becky."

"Because Tobey," Nona smiled sweetly. "Adler is still after you children. You need to hide out here for a while until he can be dealt with. Now don't worry; you can trust me." With that Nona took back her umbrella and began a merry skip back to the boat. Tobey could only watch her silly antics for a second before a noise brought his attention to the ship.

Huggy had opened a door . . . or the side of the ship rather. . . alien technology never did function the way they portrayed it in movies. The inside of the ship, was, awesome. Tobey couldn't contain his excitement. He wasn't so much attracted to the games and toys as much as he was drawn by the other worldly technologies. Huggy could hardly keep up with Tobey's 'enthusiasm.' Worst of all, Tobey was taking the liberty of removing a few things Huggy was certain WordGirl would miss.

In the game room Tobey took WordGirl's ping-pong paddle; from the bathroom, her hand towel; he took three pictures off the walls; from the kitchen Tobey took several pieces of silverware, none of which were clean.

Huggy tried yelling, he tried jumping in front of the boy. There was nothing Huggy could do but follow the boy and keep track of the items stolen. Sigh. Tobey just ran into the ship's library. Surly he would try to steal something there too . . . wait . . . the Dictionary stand was in the library!

Huggy tore after Tobey to find his fear's confirmed. The boy was standing on the bottom shelf of the stand flicking through the Dictionary's pages.

"This spiteful read is vacant." Tobey griped as he thumbed the blank pages. "One might sincerely prognosticate that a lexicon from WordGirl's celestial domicile would embody engrossing and substantial information as is contradictory to these unengaged pages."

Oh dear. Huggy quickly jumped onto the open book.

"You can't read this!"

"Quite the opposite you cretinous beast. I reserve the right to register these empty pages at my discretion."

" . . . what?"

"I'll read it if I want to. Now move." Tobey pushed the monkey only to receive Huggy's hand gripping firmly to his arm. The boy fought with the monkey for several moments until he lost his footing and fell to the floor.

"Oww." Tobey rose and rubbed his afflicted backside.

"Well that should teach you not to stick your nose in places it doesn't belong." Huggy spat jumping back onto the stand.

"Oh, because a dictionary is loaded with WordGirl's 'personal' information." Tobey made quotations in the air with his fingers. He couldn't understand why this animal was so agitated by him reading a dictionary. It wasn't like it was WordGirl's diary . . . Tobey then couldn't help but wonder if she had one.

"I can only hope its effects will wear off soon." Huggy shut the dictionary before jumping to the floor next to Tobey.

"Effects?! What Effects?"

"Just that bigger vocabulary you had for a second there, but it doesn't seem to be lasting."

Pause.

"You can understand me?!" Huggy jumped up to grab the Tobey's collar knocking the boy back to the ground. "How much of the dictionary did you read?!"

Tobey's mouth hung slightly ajar. Did, that monkey just, speak!? This wasn't possible. There was no way he could understand what that monkey was saying. This, this had to be a trick . . .

"Answer me Tobey! How much did you read!?"

"I, I only looked at the middle . . . and then I flipped to the back of the book. But there's nothing written in it. The pages are blank." The pages of the dictionary were indeed blank, a least to Tobey's eyes.

Huggy slapped his forehead. What was WordGirl going to do when she found out? She was going to kill him, that's what. Tobey watched the monkey's anguish for a moment before speaking. "I'm not speaking monkey, am I?"

"Either that or I'm speaking idiot."

"Hey," Tobey got back to his feet. "You're not going to talk to me like that. . . you're not supposed to talk to me at all!"

"Look we have to find a way to undo this before WordGirl . . ."

There came a sound from the ship's entrance lobby. The two males sent one more glare at each other before rushing to see who had come to the ship.

WordGirl had finally returned to her ship, but made no effort to look for Huggy. She went straight to the super computer located in the center of the vessel. She never looked more focused in her life. The frazzled girl was scanning through hundreds of city maps in hopes of finding just one place where Scoops could be. Just one clue to who would take him. She just needed, something . . . anything. Why wasn't anything showing up!? What hadn't she searched?

WordGirl slammed her fist onto the computer's keyboard as her face flushed in frustration.

Tears.

"Where are you Scoops? Where on Earth could you have gone?"

"Scoops?" The soft voice came as a surprise to WordGirl as she turned sharply to face it. She hadn't expected anyone to be at her hide out, needless to say not this voice. "I thought you were looking for Becky?"

o.

What was he supposed to say?

"Becky! Todd!"

The search parties had been out for over three hours now; there wasn't a sign of the children anywhere. In fact, another child was reported missing at around eleven. Tim hung his head in despair as his son pressed his face against the bookstore's front window. He and his son had been on the streets searching since he heard the news from Mrs. Heaslip.

"Maybe Becky's in there, dad," TJ spoke. Both father and son joined the search party in hopes that both the children were simply lost. "She really loves books; I bet she's just locked inside."

"Come on TJ, she's not here."

TJ looked to his father. TJ could never remember a time when his dad sounded like this. The words didn't seem to fit his father's normally positive disposition. It was almost as if his father adopted a foreign tongue.

"We're gonna find her, aren't we dad?"

The question was innocent enough; Tim felt his heart stop at the sound of his son's words. The confusion and fear of losing his child made Tim's throat dry and tight as he reached for an answer to give his son. Not even sure what the fear was from, the father felt his eyes burn with the lack of knowledge to produce tears. What could have happened to Becky? What did her disappearance mean? What was a kidnapping? What was there to be afraid of?

But this wasn't like him to worry, and he certainly did not wish to worry his son.

"We'll find her, TJ," Tim mustered all the courage he had as he spoke. "No matter what happened, we'll find her."

Tim continued walking, unaware that his son was more moved by his word then he ever thought possible.

TJ stood in the rain. There were times he didn't like his sister, but there was never a time he didn't love her. If he could have just one wish right now, it wouldn't be that his parents would adopt someone as cool as WordGirl, but that he had never wished Becky would leave.

"TJ?" Mr. Botsford turned as he noticed TJ wasn't following. "Son?"

The young boy could no longer withhold the sob building inside him as he ran into the waiting arms of his father. The boy let all his fears stain his father's shirt.

"Come on, son, we need to call mom. This isn't working."

The voices of the other searchers echoed in the streets as if the abandoned roof tops where crying out themselves. They rose to such volumes that it hurt to try and make sense of them.

But one voice did resonate louder than the others.

Tobey stood face to face with WordGirl now, just as frustrated as she.

"Where's Becky?"


	21. Scare

Disclaimer: This story is a fanfiction. I don't own WordGirl.

A/N Thanks for the patience, more will be required. There is still a lot I need to do this semester. I hope everyone has a happy Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year.

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Cows. Florida had proven to be a state full of cows.

Sally leaned against the broken down car she and Jennifer had rented for the trip from the airport to the hotel. Looking out around her, there was nothing but cow fields and random tourist attractions.

"We're going to die Sally." Jennifer had remained in the car as she wished to hypervenality away from the watchful eye of the interstate traffic. "We'll starve out here! And buzzards will eat our flesh!"

"Shh, calm down." Sally spoke still watching the cattle graze peacefully. "The tow truck will be here in thirty minutes; nothing to worry about."

"Easy for you to say, you ate at the airport! I'm dying Sally! I. Am. dying!"

Maybe Jennifer needed to be left alone for a while. She seemed . . . stressed. Sally decided to take a short walk alongside the interstate. There was a traffic sign, or rather an information sign planted in the ground a little ways ahead. Oddly enough, the sign wasn't facing a direction were the drivers would be able to read it. Sally abandoned the car to take a better look at it.

"Where are you going?!" Jennifer wasted no time bolting from the car to catch up with her co-worker. "Don't leave me!"

"I'm just taking a little walk," Sally tried to explain as the frantic woman latched onto her arm. "Why don't you," Sally began prying Jennifer off. "Go back and look over the case files."

"We've already read those a thousand times; they're not going to change. I need to stay with you."

Sally rolled her eyes, but allowed her co-worker to remain next to her. The two women approached the sign and gave it a quick read. Orlampa?

"I didn't know there was an Orlampa on the map." Sally raised an eyebrow as she looked over the sign. There were no other words.

"Maybe, when our car broke down," Jennifer began breathing heavily again. "We were sent to another dimension. We're never going to get home."

"Oh Jennifer that's ridiculous."

"Is it, is it really?" The crazed woman grabbed the sign post. "I've seen these kinds of things on TV. People are sent to other worlds. Our plane landed in Orlando and we were on our way to Tampa and now, Bam! Another world!"

"Are you, sure you're not suffering from jet-lag?" Sally stepped back from her co-worker.

"Joke all you want Sally Botsford, but when we die out here and your children become homeless, don't come crying to me!" Jennifer shook the sign violently. "Take us home!"

Sally quickly walked- ran, ran back to the car. Why had she allowed the city to give her Jennifer for her research assistant? She could have requested Claire or Amy, no, she let the city pair her with Jennifer. Seated safely in the car, Sally decided against watching her assistant attack a sign and went to check the map. Orlampa must be on it somewhere. It would be awful if she had told the tow trucking company to pick them up in the wrong area.

Yawn. She would still be in bed if she were home. Hopefully Tim got the kids to sleep without much difficulty. Knowing him, he let Becky spend the night at Violet's and TJ was up watching monster movies. Sally would have to call them in the morning and set her husband straight. He couldn't let them party all week just because she was . . .

Her cell phone let out a ring from her purse. Sally frowned. Who would be calling her at this hour? She reached for the phone to see it was from home.

"Tim if you broke anything," Sally imagined her priceless China dishes smashed on the floor along with a pitiful apology thrown together by her husband, so wracked by his guilt he couldn't sleep until he confessed . . .

Sally prayed that was what this call was about; nothing about Becky.

"Hello." The weakness of her voice came as a surprise to both her and Tim.

"Sally, I, have to tell you, that. . ."

Sally tried to wait patiently. He was stumbling over every word, every syllable. It seemed he was doubting his word choice before he had even said anything. But somehow, what he was trying to say was coming in loud and clear.

"What happened to Becky?" Sally did her best to keep her voice clam. "Tim, calm down and tell me what happened."

"She's missing." Pause. "She, she was at Violet's but never came home when she left. The city thinks someone's taking the kids because other kids are missing and . . . Oh Sally."

He. Couldn't have said . . . Becky's missing?

Sally allowed the words to roll in her head with no result of understanding. How?

The woman remained seated in the car, stunned by the news she had received. Several lone cars whizzed by in the humid Florida dawn.

o.

The whole night had been wasted as far as Adler was concerned. Theodore had managed to escape, WordGirl was nowhere to be found and Comte's equipment proved useless. All his efforts were beginning to back fire and he was running out of time. The King of Britannica was due to die any day now and he still had nothing to boost his standings. Worse yet, if word got back home that the late prince Theodore had a son . . . Adler shuttered at the thought.

"I have to kill that boy."

There was no way Adler was going to let eighteen years of planning and manipulation slip thru his fingers like this. And it was definitely not going to be taken away by children. With no other course of action to take, Adler returned to the lake house he and Curtis had converted into their base of operation.

"No one else knows Theodore is here," Adler spoke to himself as he cleared the security system. "No one even knows he exists. Perhaps they won't find out until after I'm king, and by then it will be too late for him."

Adler stepped into the house and surveyed the room. There was very little furniture, only the equipment he had brought from Britannica, and the room was rather cold and quiet. It was also dark. The only lights came from the glowing computer screens and from the street lamps outside. But that was the only light Adler would allow. Anymore and neighbors would wonder why the house's occupants were up at three in the morning.

"Curtis!" Adler headed toward the bedrooms at the back of the house. "Curtis where are you?!"

"In here!" Came the muffled reply. Curtis then emerged from the room to stand in the hall with Adler. "The boy's still in there."

"For your sake, I'd hope so."

"He," Curtis cleared his throat nervously, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Adler. "He won't say if he knows who WordGirl is."

Adler closed his eyes for a minute; his wet, matted hair covered his forehead making it hard for Curtis to read his facial expression in the dark. When Adler finally opened his eyes again it was easy to see his less than favorable mood.

"Can you not even handle a child." Adler spoke thru gritted teeth. "I swear, you are the most idiotic being to ever breath air." Adler shoved Curtis aside as he entered the room.

"The kid's sleeping right now, Adler," Curtis spoke these words so hastily, and he regretted their concerned tone. "I mean, I think it would be best to question him further in the morning after he's-"

"Do I look like I care about his health!" Adler wheeled on Curtis frightening the man out of the room; and unknowingly causing the child to winch in his false sleeping state. "I'll show you how much I care!" Adler went straight for the bed and snatched Todd up by the collar of his outer shirt. Adler glared hard at the youth fearfully dangling before him. "Now either you tell me where I can find WordGirl or I'll serve you as her replacement."

Todd looked past Adler's face. Curtis was mouthing the words 'status quo.'

Adler watched the boy's eyes divert. In that instant Adler knew something was amiss between his assistant and the child. He would deal with that later; oh but how it angered him.

"Look at me!" Adler shook Todd as if straightening a piece of paper. The child gave the man his full attention. "Tell me who she is!"

"I, I . . ." Todd gripped his hands to his collar to try and ease the pressure. "I don't know for sure."

"Think hard, this is your life you're playing with."

Adler's gaze was almost too much for Todd to handle. If he had to remain with this man for too much longer he knew he would lose his composure.

"See how dark it is outside?" Adler thrust Todd to the bed, disorienting the child for a moment, before taking hold of the back of both the shirts Todd was wearing. Adler then dragged the boy across the room and forcibly pressed him against the only window present. The boy grunted in pain while Adler continued to speak. "You have until the sun comes up to 'make sure' you have the right answer for me, or else."

Adler released the boy and made his way to leave. The door was slammed behind him and undoubtedly locked. The child shook for a moment on the floor before responding to what had just taken place.

Todd climbed back onto the bed and got comfortable, wiping away any tears that tried to escape his eyes. He half wanted to say that Becky was WordGirl in hopes it would get himself out of this situation. The world was going to find out sooner or later. Besides, if this man was going to kill her anyway what difference would it make whether he told or not . . ?

"Because that's not what real friends do."

But ratting out WordGirl was the only way he could get out of there. He didn't have any other leads; she had to be Becky.

"Even if I tell, Curtis said he's going to kill me anyway."

What was he going to say when Adler came back in the morning? What words could save his life?

Outside of the bedroom door, Adler had unleashed his resentment on Curtis.

"What are you doing with that boy?" Adler's voice was low and hot.

"I don't know what you're talking about Adler." Curtis immediately got on the defensive. He had a bad feeling about the direction of this conversation.

"That boy looked to you."

"He was just scared and lo-"

"Don't play stupid with me!"

The loud shouting could be clearly heard in the bedroom. Todd watched the door intently as the voices continued; pulling his knees close to himself.

"I've worked too hard for you to blow this now." Adler stepped close to Curtis.

"I already told you, I'm not helping that kid."

"So now you're helping him?"

"No!"

"For eighteen years I've sucked up to the king, playing lap dog in his son's absence, and I will not have you take that away from me Curtis."

"I'm not helping or working with that kid. I just did what you told me to Adler."

Adler remained unconvinced by Curtis' pleas. He knew his partner's actions were suggesting pity for the child.

"Adler, I've worked with you this entire time," Curtis spoke. He could only hope his choice of helping Todd wouldn't back fire on him. Curtis couldn't blame the child; Todd was looking to him for help.

"Do you not want me to be king, Curtis? Is that it?"

"No, I, I want you to be king, it's just . . ."

"Just what?" This statement was said with such malice, Curtis knew his next words would have to be delicately chosen.

Why had Curtis chosen to help Adler? This man . . . who wanted children dead, even the rightful heir to the throne . . . how could Curtis betray his planet like this? Here he was with the information that could revolutionize both Britannica and Lexicon, and he was still helping Adler. Britannica wasn't looking to crown a new king, they just didn't realize they had to find their heir. Curtis didn't want to break High Law by killing Todd, and he certainly didn't want to kill the heir to Britannica. That would be . . .

"Do you remember when we invaded Lexicon?"

Adler was confused and frustrated by Curtis' comment.

"What does that have to do . . ."

"The first time our planet invaded Lexicon, do you remember it?"

"Of course I do, I was there." Adler's rage took a back seat as he sized Curtis. "You're not making any sense. I'm asking you to tell me what you're doing with the boy."

"No," Curtis straightened a bit as he stood up to his superior. "You're asking me to commit treason."

o.

"My son couldn't have gotten far, we have to keep looking."

"And I assure you we will; later in the morning we'll resume."

The police station was buzzing with activity by five in the morning. Mrs. Ming had chewed out half the police staff for not being able to find her son.

"I don't care if you're men are tired! My countless tax dollars aren't being spent on your coffee breaks!"

Needless to say, her efforts were yielding very little result. The police had been out all night looking for Two-Brains' cheese mines, but none had been found. The children's families were still out looking, but they too were becoming weary. The whole city was baffled on what to do next.

"Look ma'am," the commissioner tried to comfort Mrs. Ming. "We are doing everything we know to do to try and find your son. The keyword being 'try.'"

Mrs. Ming slammed her hands down on the commissioner's desk continuing to argue with him, oblivious to the villain being brought in behind her. Dr. Two-Brains was all bandaged up and ready for questioning. The bullet injury he had suffered was nothing more but a flesh wound. The doctor was taken back into the interrogation room. One of the escorting officers than came along side the commissioner and whispered the news in his ear.

"Finally!" The commissioner smiled and turned back to the hostile woman in front of him. "See, we have brought the kidnapper in for questioning and once WordGirl arrives we'll-hey!"

Before the man could finish speaking Mrs. Ming was making her way to Dr. Two-Brains.

"Where's My Son!" Mrs. Ming threw open the door to the interrogation room with little difficulty. "If so much as one hair is messed up on his head . . ." The woman grabbed the mousy villain's jacket and raised him from his seat. "I will shred you to pieces, and I will shred those pieces to pieces! And I will keep shredding until there is nothing left to shred!"

The doctor had been shaken so much he had become dizzy. It was at this moment the commissioner entered the room and relinquished Mrs. Ming's hold on Two-Brains. He explained quickly that her methods wouldn't persuade the doctor of anything and that it was customary to let WordGirl speak with the villains first since they seemed to relate better to her.

"Well where is she!?" Mrs. Ming never removed her glare from the doctor.

"I don't know, we've tried calling her but-"

"Well then interrogate him yourselves!"

"Uh," the commissioner looked to his accompanying officer who only shrugged in response. "We don't really know how to do that."

"What! You're the police?!"

"Yeah, but WordGirl's always done it in the past, so we're going to wait for her." The officers smiled in hopes that the assertive woman would calm down. But alas, that was not the case.

"If you won't make him talk then I will!" Mrs. Ming, taking hold tightly onto the villain's lab coat, began shaking the doctor again. More officers had to be called in just to hold Mrs. Ming away from Dr. Two-Brains. The commissioner quickly moved Two-Brains to another room while the remaining officers locked Mrs. Ming away for her own safety . . . and possible their own.

Once Two-Brains was secure, the commissioner pulled up a chair and tried to speak.

"You know it would just be easier for everyone if you'd tell us where your cheese mines are."

"I don't have any cheese mines," Two-Brains rolled his eyes. "You can't even get cheese out of the ground; it's a dairy product."

"So . . . are you forcing children to slave away on your dairy farm?"

Two-Brains let out an aggravate groan. This wasn't right! Here he was arrested while that crazy man was out there after Tobey, and no one believed him. He wasn't trying to hurt anyone, he wanted to help.

"Listen to me," Two-Brains had to try, even though it would fail, he had to try; he had to make them listen. "I had nothing to do with the reporter's disappearance, but I think I know who does. If you would just let me out . . ."

There came a sudden knock on the door from another police officer. She looked a bit panicky as she gazed thru the glass and signaled for the commissioner to come out.

"Just a minute Two-Brains." The commissioner went to the door. "What is it now? I'm trying to disclose the location of the enslaved children."

"I'm sorry sir, but the other families of the missing children are here and they all want to speak with you."

"Oh, cheese and crackers," the man crossed his arms as he made his way out front. "How can these people expect me to find their children if they keep bombarding me with silly clues to the children's whereabouts?"

"But, wouldn't that be helpful sir." The female officer asked, confusion tainting her words.

Instead of answering her, the man went out to see the families. All of them looked distressed, wet and tired. Their hopeful eyes were overshadowed by their fearful expressions as they looked to the commissioner for help. Tim wasted no time speaking up for the search party.

"Sir, have you heard anything about our kids yet?"

"Uh . . . no."

"But," Mrs. Heaslip clasped her in a pleading fashion. "Something's had to come up. They couldn't have just vanished. Did someone set up a ransom? Has some one seen them?"

Violet peeked her head out from around her mother's legs. She had never been in the police station before. Too bad her first time was for something like this. But while the adults spoke, maybe she could find a place to sit down and rest her feet. Even though she had put on her walking shoes, she was still dressed in her princess costume from her party. The wet dress was rather heavy to carry around.

Violet slipped out of the assembled group and down the hall. There were wanted posters, water coolers, prisoner benches and locked offices, but no comfortable chairs. But then she finally spotted what her aching feet had been longing for.

Violet opened the door to the second interrogation room. There was a unoccupied chair right next to the villain Dr. Two-Brains; what luck!

"Do you mind if I sit with you?"

As Violet spoke, the mousy villain looked up to see the door had been opened. Now was his chance to escape!

Slam.

Violet shut the door faster then she had opened it, and faster than Two-Brains could hope to run.

"Why'd you do that?! It's locked from the in here!"

"You don't know how happy I am to find a chair." Violet sat next to the man and let out a relived sigh. "My feet were killing me."

"Now they're going to wonder why you're in here and they're going to think I'm kidnapping you." Two-Brains slapped his hand against his forehead.

"Oh that's silly."

The doctor couldn't stop the twitch that was beginning to form in his right eye. How? Why? What had he done? Listen to Boxleinter, that's what. If that goody-goody part of himself had never spoken up, he wouldn't be in this mess.

"Besides, WordGirl will find everyone and the day will be saved!"

Violet swung her feet in ignorant bliss while Boxleinter's feelings overcame the doctor again. WordGirl's panicked faced, that strange weapon that evil man had, Tobey running for his life; it would be a miracle if the reporter boy were still alive.

"I'm afraid this might be out of WordGirl's league." the professor sighed.

"What do you mean?" Violet looked up at the crestfallen adult.

"I'm not sure, all I know is . . ."

The door handle to the room began to shake.

"Someone's coming," Two-Brains reached over and began pulling Violet to the ground. "Hide under that table over there before they see you." He whispered as the girl complied.

Violet wasn't sure why she was hiding, but it was probably not a good idea to bicker with a villain.

Two-Brains resumed his seated position just in time to see . . . Claire? What was Tobey's mother . . . of course she'd be looking for her son. And being the tough law woman that she was, Two-Brains needed to brace himself for more than just a 'shredding.'

"I'm only going to ask this once," Clair shut the door behind her. Several officers crowed the window to watch the exchange between the two. "Where's Tobey?" Claire was very somber for a mother who had just lost her kid. Well, at least compared to Mrs. Ming.

"I don't know."

"Wrong answer." Claire turned to the window in the door and nodded. The door was quickly opened by one of the officers as a small kitten was placed in the room. Upon seeing the cat, Two-Brains immediately jumped up in the chair shrieking as if he had 'seen a mouse' so to speak.

"Take it away!"

"There's a whole mess of cats out there Two-Brains, so I suggest you start talking. Where's my son?" Claire stood firm as the small kitty rolled onto its back and meowed.

The sugar sweet mew terrified the doctor and he cried out again. Those large incisors, slicing claws, ear splitting cries. Why was he being tormented so?! What had he done but try to help, never, never again!

"Tell me."

"I told you, I don't know."

Another kitten was brought into the room. Oh the horror that ensued as the two monsters began to play together. Tumbling over each other with vicious intent and hatred in their eyes. Claire continued to frown at Two-Brains as he managed to teeter precariously from the back of the chair.

"I'm losing my patience Two-Brains, talk or I'll bring another cat into this room."

"Alright, alright," the doctor cried out. "But get rid of those two first."

Claire turned back to the window and signaled for the kittens to be removed. Once the offending animals were gone, Two-Brains felt comfortable enough to sit back down in his chair and breathe a sigh of relief. But Claire didn't intend for the mousy villain to get too comfortable.

"You have two minutes to give me the location of my son or the cats return." Claire walked over and leaned against the table where Violet had been hiding. Luckily for Two-Brains the little girl didn't make a sound. She was still hiding as instructed assuming this was part of some kind of game . . . or maybe this would help find her friends.

"I get two minutes right?" Two-Brains asked.

"Only a minute and forty-five seconds now."

"Okay, listen to everything I have to say before you start bring in those cats again." The doctor's nerves were still a little shaken up. It had been such a stressful night; gun shots, rain, exhaustion, missing children, false accusations, and now cats! He just needed to collect his thoughts. "As I've said before, I don't know where you son is."

"Then perhaps the cats can-"

"You-said-I-had-two-minutes!"

Claire waited.

"I don't know where he is because WordGirl's furry sidekick took him away from a very dangerous situation I happened to stumble on."

Claire remained silent, but prompted the doctor to keep speaking by nodding her head.

"After I heard that some other villain was out kidnapping children and trumping my villainous reputation, I went out to stop him. But when I was out I saw your son walking about and some stranger aiming something at him. Since I knew children were being kidnapped I assumed the man was after your son too, so I went to stop him. But it turns out he had a weapon with qualities much different from any I've ever seen before. Your son ran away with HuggerFace and I got stuck with the crazy guy."

Dr. Two-Brains told his story with as much detail as his minds could remember. Claire's dominating disposition gave way to a sickening worry that was painting itself in all her features. Two-Brains had expected this, being it was Tobey's mother. No parent would want to hear that, but at the same time, only a parent would have listened to him long enough to not assume he was still trying to build a mine.

"So you see Ms. MacCallister, the real perpetrator is still at large. But I have an advantage no other member of the city has; I know what he looks like." Sigh. "I know it may be hard to trust me considering I encouraged your son to once build a cheese stealing robot with me . . . but I really do care about your son's well being . . . as well as WordGirl's . . . and the other missing kid."

Claire had been staring at the floor for the better part of Two-Brains speech. It was as if she was in a state of shocked disbelief.

"You don't sound like the Two-Brains that Sally's talked about on trail."

"To be honest, I'm not certain I am."

"You're not just saying this to get out of here are you?" Claire set upon the doctor a hard stare.

"Trust me, I'd put on a much better façade if that was my only goal." A moment of understanding passed between the two. "You have to convince them somehow that I'm . . ."

"Do you have any idea where to start looking first?" Claire looked back at the officers. They had become very bored with watching the conversation and most likely weren't listening.

"Well, yeah, but . . ."

"It would take me days to persuade the commissioner that you were innocent, and I'm not going to mess with all that when my son's life is in danger."

Two-Brains stood with a questionable look. He watched the woman open the door and speak with the officers. The team of law enforcers left quickly talking amongst themselves.

"You're . . . going to let me out?"

"We have to hurry; they won't stay away for long." Claire came back to the doctor and began pushing him to the door.

"Wait a second, wait a second. You know you could lose your job doing this, right?"

Claire looked at the man for a moment and then resumed what she was doing.

"Where to first?"

"I wager it best to start where I last saw Tobey, but the lake for the reporter boy is closer. I'm certain there's clues there."

Both adults left the room, the door slightly ajar. Violet crawled from under the table and stood in the empty room. Two-Brains had seen Tobey. Maybe he was right about Scoops' location too. She would have to tell her mommy. Violet lifted the sides of her wet costume and ran back to the area where all the adults were gathered. Unfortunately they were still fighting, and it looked like it was getting worse.

Everyone was getting pretty tired, but she couldn't just wait around. . .

"I wonder what WordGirl is doing?" Violet thought back on the doctor's words. What if that weapon was stronger than WordGirl and she got hurt. Violet covered her mouth as she gasped. Becky could be in great danger! Telling her mom would have to wait; her best friend needed her.

Violet made her way to the front door of the police station unnoticed by all . . . except one.

o.

"Sally! Sally wait!" Jennifer cried as she did her best to climb over a barbed-wire fence which resulted in her falling face first into the ground.

"Just wait in the car!" Sally wasn't going to sit idly by while her daughter was in trouble. She had to get home and she had to do it now. Luckily for her, in this uncharted spot of the world there was a tourist attraction that involved planes. Maybe should could get a ride back home.

"Sally!" Jennifer stood waving from the fence. "What about the case?!"

"You can handle it! I have to get home. Don't worry you'll be okay!" Sally took off in a jog across the field toward the airplane hangars in the distance. She could only hope that someone would be kind enough to help her home . . . and that Jennifer wouldn't hurt herself.

"I'm sorry Becky." Sally huffed just as the Florida sun broke out over the horizon.


	22. Shooting Rescue

Disclamer: This is a Fanfiction and in no way reflects the ideas of the show's creators.

A/N Ha, proof read. I've grown to like the outcome of this chapter. I mean, it's no fun to write if I know the ending right. A lot of stuff's been popping up so I haven't had a whole lot of time to write. I'll try to be more dependable with my updates, but no promises. As for Tobey and WordGirl; I haven't forgot them. Please feel free to review and have a Happy Easter!

* * *

Université des Études Sociologiques student Em was settling in for the night. Classes had been rather rough that day and all he wanted to do was get a good night's sleep. As he laid his head down on his pillow, the door to his dorm room flew open.

"I'm back! Did you miss me?"

Em almost fell out of bed at the sound of his roommate's voice.

"Dude," Em gasped. "I thought you were hosting Sixty Minutes this month?"

The placid grin melted off the roommate's face.

"I was supposed to," the man began. "But then they found someone 'better suited' for the job. This planet's full of fickle people."

"You mean they changed their minds with little reason; even when you had a contract. That is pretty fickle."

"Yeah, well I needed to get back to work anyway. I can't wait to see how WordGirl's doing."

Em watched his roommate bring in his suitcases and place them on his own bed. The man unpacked several items before speaking again.

"I think I'll go check on her right now."

"She's probably asleep."

"I doubt it. See you in the morning Em."

"Night."

The man left the dorms and made his way to his workstation. He loved spending time there. Even though he would always be graded on his work, he enjoyed studying Mother Earth and the funny characters that inhabited it. WordGirl just had to be his favorite person to study. On his first day at the school he was so taken in by her antics that he made his whole study focus on hero-worship and heroes. He could spend countless hours at the work station computer jotting down notes, interacting with WordGirl and sending his cameras all over the city.

He had to laugh at the thought. He had become so engrossed in WordGirl's life that he couldn't help but involve himself. He played the role of narrator and shared his findings with his classmates; and being WordGirl was from Lexicon there was no infringement to High Law. He was free to talk to her all he wanted . . . and as long as he never let the professors see his "show," he'd never have to explain why he had been talking to other Earthlings as well.

Once there, he entered the small work area and flicked on the lights. His room had been messed with! He was shocked. No one at the school ever messed with another student's work station. It was against policy and could be an infraction of High Law.

"Who was in here?"

The man picked up several scripts off the floor along with pens and empty folders. His computers were also tampered with. They were left on with their field cameras all placed on . . . Tobey's house?

"I wasn't watching him last." The man said gently to himself as he pulled his chair up to the monitors. He wasted no time in checking the damage that might have been done. Typing away at the rather primitive keyboard provided him by the school, he turned on all his cameras and monitors.

Each screen displayed a different view of the city. Some were hovering downtown, some at the school and others around the villain's usual hideouts. He had placed these little viewers everywhere so that he could always follow WordGirl's adventures.

"The guys must have come in here to watch for themselves. Maybe they couldn't wait for me to get back," he pondered aloud as he looked over all the screens. "They probably couldn't enjoy any of it." He laughed. "No audience can appreciate a good story without its narrator."

The narrator began the process of studying his screens. Hopefully he could find WordGirl and let her know he was back. He'd never let her know that he was a student at the university of cause; he didn't want to mix her life on Earth with his rather foreign one. But it sure would be nice to catch up on all . . ?! One of the monitors caught his attention.

It was Violet. She was running along the street huffing and puffing.

"Oh," Violet breathed in defeat. Unknown to the narrator, she had been trying to follow Two-Brains' van since it left the police station. There was no way she could hope to catch up to the vehicle now, and that meant there was no way for her to help Becky. . . no she couldn't stop, her best friend needed her. Violet continued to push her body on.

She splashed thru puddles and almost slipped twice, but she reached the end of this block and peered around the last building. The van wasn't down this road; maybe she just missed it. Violet recollected her dress and made her way down yet another street. By the end of this road, however, Violet's legs could handle no more abuse. The girl released her grip on her dress before leaning against a building to rest. There was no way to get to the lake. She didn't know the way without the van's help.

Pant.

She would just have to head back and tell her mommy. Violet looked back the way she came, but nothing looked familiar. She couldn't remember the way back to the police station! She was lost!

"Oh, dear." Violet stood away from the building and gazed helplessly down the street. Even though the rain was gone and the moon was beginning to break thru the clouds, there was an eeriness that drifted along the empty roads. Violet knew there was a dangerous person running around, and here she was alone. "I should have told mommy where I was going first."

For a moment the narrator thought about asking Violet if she were lost, and better yet, what she was doing outside alone at night. But then Violet heard something. It sounded like footsteps coming from just down the street. Violet became increasingly nervous.

"Who's t-t-there?" the girl asked as she drew into herself. The steps became louder as a shadow crept around the corner to rest at Violet's feet. Violet shrieked as the person revealed himself.

"Shh, Violet," the voice was easily recognized by the girl. "Do you want us to get kidnapped too?" TJ Botsford stood winded in front of Violet. It appeared that he had been doing his best to keep up with her.

"TJ? What are you doing here?" Violet asked all fear removed.

"I saw you leaving and thought that maybe you knew where Becky was. Dad sure doesn't." TJ lowered his gaze as he spoke. Violet only smiled at him. She was too relieved to be saddened by TJ's disposition.

"Well, I think I might know where Becky is, but I'm not sure how to get there."

"So where is she?"

Violet bit her lower lip. It wasn't that she wasn't happy to have TJ's company, it was just that he had mentioned Becky; Violet remembered the little secret she was trying to keep. If Violet allowed TJ to follow her, he might find out that Becky was WordGirl . . . but then again, if something bad happened to Becky it wouldn't matter if her brother found out or not.

"She's at the country club, I think."

"But that place was blown sky high," TJ protested. "Didn't you watch the news?"

The narrator raised an eyebrow.

"Well . . . maybe there's a clue there." Violet offered. TJ seemed to muddle over this bit of information for a moment before speaking.

"Violet, you're a genius!"

"Thanks . . . I think." Violet wasn't certain what it was that she had done to deserve such a complement, but at the moment it didn't matter. "I'm still not sure how to get there."

"I bet I know where to go." TJ boasted. "I've been studying some of my mom's city maps lately. I know where just about everything is."

"That sounds boring," Violet looked back down the street as she heard a low rumbling sound; perhaps the van was coming back. "Why would you study maps?"

"I figure that if WordGirl ever needs a new sidekick, he would have to know the city pretty well. Come on, we need to head this way." TJ grabbed Violet's arm and began pulling her to where he guessed the lake would be.

Both kids stopped however when the rumbling became louder. Aiming her gaze at the sky, Violet saw a bright star shoot by, or, at least it looked like a star. It was brighter than anything else in the sky and it passed with a rather loud whoosh.

"What was that?" Violet turned to the young boy beside her.

"I don't know," TJ shrugged. "But I hope it has nothing to do with Becky."

The narrator didn't need to guess what that was. He was almost certain he knew what had just taken off. The narrator turned his attention to several different monitors. He began flipping thru several cameras looking for the one he had placed in WordGirl's ship.

"Come on, come on."

The narrator had no idea what was going on. Had Becky left Earth? The narrator flipped thru several views hoping to find WordGirl's ship. And then another screen flickered to life. The narrator turned to it, his mind still spinning with the events he just saw.

Was that Claire and Dr. Two-Brains digging around in . . . rubble? What happened there? Was this where Violet wanted to go?

The narrator turned his full attention to the screen.

The remains of the country club were still scattered about; broken furniture, singed construction.

Two-Brains kicked around a few assorted items as he searched the rubble doing his best not to strain his wounded arm. He didn't seem to notice the passing star, either that or he chose to ignore it. There wasn't anything he was looking for in particular; he was just hoping something would stand out.

"We need to go to where you last saw him," Claire protested as she stood from the debris she had been searching in. "We're wasting time."

"Quiet down," Two-Brains hushed. "This was on the way; it doesn't make sense to head over there just to have to come back." The mousy villain unturned another fragment of the demolished building to see what looked like the side of his van; a side that had since been removed due to Tuesdays events.

"You know, I owe WordGirl a lot." Two-Brains said removing his gaze from top the van door.

"What about my son?!" Claire didn't have the patience to listen to the doctor's hurt tone. "I didn't let you out so you could waste my time digging thru broken wood and discarded party favors!"

"Look lady, I'm just as worried about the kids as you are, but I won't . . ."

"Worried about the kids?! You could care less! You probably just lead me on so you could get out of jail!"

"If you're in so much doubt of my character, why'd you let me go in the first place!?"

"Because I want my son." Claire's sturdy demeanor deteriorated before the doctor's and the narrator's eyes. "I can't lose my son." The words became lost in her tears as her body trembled with emotion. "Please, if you've seen my son, take me to him."

All her motherly fear had built up inside of her and could hold back no longer. Two-Brains watched the woman before him reach out and take hold of some erected rubble to help her keep her balance. The woman then covered her face with her free hand as she allowed the tears to generously come. She had broken; after remaining strong before so many people, she had finally broken.

The narrator could only watch with stunned confusion as he was certain any words he used would be a wasted effort.

Even breathing seemed a bother to the doctor as he stood watching this woman. This moment was so fragile; any noise would be loud enough to shatter it. He didn't want to damage a soul as wrecked as hers was now.

Or did he? Why should a villain like Dr. Two-Brains care about this?

"Leave me alone." Two-Brains felt a sharp pain rip through his head; his mouse brain was throbbing.

But it was foolish for him to care! Here Claire was unable to function; this would be the perfect opportunity for the doctor to escape. So run,

"You don't have control over me!" Two-Brains fell to his knees gripping the exposed brain on his head.

Run! This would be the perfect moment to regain control!

"You. Don't. Have . . . Control!" The pain was almost more than anyone could bear alone. "I want to help . . . WordGirl, the explosion, my life . . ! This is my body!"

The doctor's vociferation only served to heighten Claire's own fears, but it didn't take her focus off this moment. She removed her hand to take a look at the pain overcoming the doctor. What a sight! The man appeared to be trying to perform a distorted form of self craniotomy.

As quickly as she could Claire made her way to the man and began trying to pry his hands away from his head. He proved to be very determined.

"Two-Brains you have to stop this!" Claire breathed heavily as she over exerted herself in this activity.

"Don't you see," his voice seemed to come from no place within him. "Squeaky isn't who's doing this to me, I'm doing it to myself."

Claire wasn't sure what the doctor was trying to say. Her earlier tears were impairing her vision as her body began to protest the fight she found herself in. He was pushing on her and pulling at her hand and, even with gloves on, he was scratching her fingers. She just wasn't built for this kind of activity. But it didn't take a medical genius to tell that if Two-Brains succeeded in what he was trying to do, it wouldn't end well.

"You're going to kill yourself! Is that what you want!?"

"Anything's better than feeling like this, I'm trapped, all the time trapped. Not now! I can't please it anymore."

Even as the mousy villain continued to yell, something inside him seemed to ease a bit. He no longer struggled with Claire, but allowed his arms to fall lifelessly to his sides. With exhausted effort, Claire kneeled down beside him.

"WordGirl was my dearest friend, and I've almost killed her."

Claire was shocked that the voice coming from his mouth was not that of the Dr. Two-Brains she'd come to know. This man sounded different, cognitive, regretful . . .

"Steven Boxleitner?" the narrator's voice came as a mere whisper ignored by all.

"She needed me now more than ever. She can't fight this guy . . . and now I'm still useless." The man clenched his fists. "I was always useless!"

"That's not true . . ." Claire tried to say.

"Yes it is!" Two-Brains turned his head shapely to look at the woman beside him. "While I've been letting myself be used like a puppet, Scoops' been kidnapped, Tobey's being shot at, WordGirl's about to get killed . . . And all I can do is think about hard pressed bacteria curds! If anyone should be dead it's me. The whole city's doom!" Two-Brains dropped his head.

Claire wasn't certain how to react to this. She wasn't completely sure she understood what he was trying to say.

"I'm sorry for the things that have happened to you, Mr. Boxleitner," she was very careful not to upset him with her tone or any physical touch. "But if you want to help these kids now you can't dwell on the past. Please, please help me find my son before you make another mistake you'll regret."

All his fear, all the time wasted . . .

"You're right," Prof. Boxleitner laughed weakly. "I'm the only one that can help me now, and those kids. Let's get back in the van. We'll head down to the apartments near the bay; that's where I last saw Tobey-"

The narrator sat in disbelief. What was going on here? Did something happen to Tobey?

"Man, I leave for a week and the whole city falls apart."

The narrator returned his efforts to finding WordGirl's ship.

"But why would she leave?" The narrator continued to pass over pictures. "She was happy here . . . and her ship is broken. Huggy doesn't have the know how to fix it. Why would they leave?"

It just wasn't making any sense. WordGirl would never leave earth. Another part of Claire's and Steven's conversation stuck out in the narrator's head; Scoops had been kidnapped.

Somehow all this information made the narrator feel rather sick. There was no denying that oddities had indeed accrued in his absences. In his mad search for WordGirl, which was possibly pointless if her ship was out of range, he would have to keep an eye open for Tobey and Todd. A fact that was more upsetting then the thought of Wordgirl leaving; the narrator's equipment had been spying on Tobey's house. Whoever tampered with his equipment knew where Tobey was.

"I'll have to ask around later, right now I need to find Becky."

In his haste the narrator almost skipped the camera's that were focused on Todd.

"Wait a minute . . ." the narrator flipped back to the image of the city's ace reporter huddled up on the bed of an unfamiliar room. "That's not Scoops' house."

The image was of Todd hugging his knees and staring out the window. He must have seen the star pass too. The narrator smiled slightly.

"Well at least Scoops is okay." As if in response to the narrator's words shouting could be heard coming thru the door to the bedroom Todd was in.

As the boy turned despairingly toward the door, the narrator sent his camera out into the hall via the gap under the door. The hall was dark and the images were hard for the narrator to make out. Barely visible were the silhouettes of two men auguring. One man was closer to the hall window while the other remained closer to the door. It appeared the first had gone to the window to see the 'star' pass. His face was slightly lit and the narrator immediately felt that he recognized the man. The man spoke,

"Treason you say?"

"Killing the grandson to the king is treason Adler. He's next in line, not you." Curtis did his best not to sound threatening to his partner. He knew these words would only further Adler's anger, but he had to speak his peace. Curtis stood, waiting his punishment. It didn't come.

Adler stood motionless at the window.

"She's gone." He said plainly. "And I wouldn't be surprised if she took the boy with her."

"What . . ?" Curtis was confused. Curtis was sure Adler would have killed him upon finding out that he had wanted to help Todd, but now Adler was just staring out a window as mellow as could be.

"WordGirl's escaped."

"Shouldn't we, go after her?" Curtis didn't know how to respond. Adler had put so much stock into catching WordGirl so he could be king . . . maybe what Curtis had said had changed Adler's mind. "Maybe she just left to get away from us, when we leave she'll come back."

"Not likely," Adler walked out into the living room area of the lake house. "She's probably on her way to Lexicon as we speak."

"But you need her to be king right?" Curtis followed at a distance.

"What's the point when the king has a grandson, isn't that what you said." Adler stood in the middle of the room lit by the various computers around him. "I wouldn't want to be a traitor now would I?"

Curtis couldn't read the tone Adler used. Was he being serious? Curtis waited at the entrance of the hall and looked at his partner. Why hadn't Adler punished him yet, and how was he so sure WordGirl and Theodore had left?

"Does this mean we're heading home?" Curtis breathed.

"Do you think I plan on giving up this easily?" Serious stare.

"What do you want from me then; I won't kill Britannica's heir."

"That just proves your loyalty; a good quality to have Curtis. I won't have you kill the boy, but you are either with me or you're not. I will be king Curtis, I've come too far, seen too much to let this opportunity pass. Are you with me then?"

Curtis felt like running, or fighting his way out of there. This wasn't going to end well. Adler was too blind to see that this plan was doomed to fail. If WordGirl had Theodore with her, it was too late . . . but better to go with the flow for now. When Adler put his guard down Curtis could safely get away from here.

"I'm still with you Adler, I just don't want to commit treason. Besides WordGirl and the heir are already going back; we can't stop them, they're too far ahead."

"That's a good one." Adler let out a hearty laugh. "WordGirl's a superhero."

"Uh . . . wha, what does that have to . . ."

"We have the only thing she could ever truly care about right here."

"I'm not following."

Adler laughed again as he went to a window. He pointed at the cityscape beyond the lake.

"The city Curtis; she can't leave it for very long. It needs her." Curtis frowned at what Adler was saying. "All we have to do, my dear loyal assistant, is destroy it."

"But that's against High Law!"

Adler quit his smirking as he heard those words.

The narrator didn't need to see anymore. He left his work station and immediately headed for Mr. Comte's office. Something needed to be done. It appeared that two Britannicans were breaking High Law, and worse yet, endangering dear friends of the narrator himself.

"Mr. Comte!" The narrator shouted outside of the office door. "Mr. Comte if you're in there come out now!"

"Just a minute." The groggy elderly voice answered in response. "Let me get a robe." The old man must have been sleeping in his quarters located in the back of his office. This was a great convenience to have the principal of the school constantly on campus. "What do you want?" The man asked as he opened the door.

"Sir, there are two men here, on Earth, from Britannica and they plan on harming WordGirl and . . ."

"Calm down man, do you want to wake everyone in the school?"

"But sir . . ."

"Look young man I'm quite aware that there are Britannicans here and I can assure you everything is fine. Go back to sleep." The answer was harsher than the narrator could ever remember his principal using before. The man turned to go back into his room just as the narrator reached out and took hold of his arm.

"But sir their braking High Law a-and if we don't report them, then . . . then we'd be committing treason."

"Go back to your room boy."

o

"We're on the wrong side of the lake TJ," Violet spoke to the young boy beside her. "Is this what you meant to do?"

"We're not on the wrong side," TJ protected as he squinted to try and see the other side of the lake. "We're just uh, taking a short cut."

"Oh," Violet laughed reassured in TJ's directional skills. "That's good because I'm not sure what kind of trouble Becky could be in. We should hurry."

TJ paused for a moment and looked at the lake. He wasn't sure how they had ended up on this side, but at least now he could just follow the shoreline to the other side.

"Come on Violet," TJ made his way to the shore. "We'll just walk down here."

"But that's going into someone's yard." Violet waited on the street as TJ quit his walk to the shore. "Mommy says it's not polite to walk in other people's yards unless you know them."

"Seriously Violet?" TJ glared at his sister's best friend. "We're trying to save my sister here."

Before Violet had a chance to respond to TJ's outburst, there came a sudden sound. TJ motioned to Violet to come down to where he was, though he wasn't sure why. As the girl came alongside him TJ began to feel a bit frightened. It wasn't that he was afraid the homeowner would come out and be mad at him for trespassing, his fear came from something else.

The two kids crouched low as two men exited onto the back deck of their lake house; unknown to them to be Curtis and Adler.

Their conversation had carried on for quite some time after the narrator had left them, and so had their intentions. Adler was rigidly forming a more tactful plan, while Curtis led Todd out on the deck; a cloth roughly tied around the boy's mouth.

Violet couldn't suppress a small gasp that escape. TJ could only start in outraged disbelief.

"Well Curtis," Adler smile. "While I focus my energy on getting WordGirl to come back, I can't worry about a traitor in my mist." Adler looked down at the struggling boy with a solemn face. "This is your last chance boy; either you tell me who WordGirl is or I'm going to have Curtis here tie you up and toss you back in that lake."

"Me?" Curtis asked without thinking. Adler didn't even glance up at his partner, but his tone clearly expressed his anger.

"If you want to prove your loyalty to me, then I suggest you toss this child in the water. Or were you lying to me?"

While Curtis stumbled over the words to give his partner, Violet turned to TJ and whispered,

"We've got to save him."

TJ quickly surveyed the land around him. There had to be something they could do; something they could use to distract. But nothing was coming to mind. Should he yell something or try to run up and save Todd. . ?

Then, as TJ's eyes lifted back toward the road, he saw the answer and a plan began forming in his head.

"Violet, you stay here," TJ whispered as he began crawling back to the road. "I think I can distract them. If you can, try to get him out of there." TJ hurried along leaving a very distraught eleven year old behind.

On the road, the paperboy had just finished up the paper route and was getting ready to head home when he saw a familiar face come out of the backyard of one of the house.

"Mr. President, is that you?" The boy asked placing one foot on the ground to steady him and his bicycle.

"Johnson," TJ barked. "Give me your delivery bag."

"No way," The boy gripped his bag tightly. "They only give ya' one and you have to pay to replace it."

"This is an emergency; gimme the bag."

"No."

TJ let out an aggravated sigh. Maybe he'd be willing to trade the bag for something.

"What if I let you be president of the International WordGirl Fanclub for one day? Sound good?"

"Really! Would I get to wear a crown?"

"Sure."

"And have everyone call me Mr. President?"

"Whatever you want Johnson; just give me the bag."

Without a moment's hesitation the paperboy handed over his wears and peddled off with a grin. TJ didn't even have time to roll his eyes as he threw the bag's sling over his shoulder and made his way to the front door of Adler's hideout.

Three loud knocks.

On the back porch, Adler had quit his bickering, much to Curtis' relief, and listened. The knocks came again.

"Get the boy back inside." Adler spat at his partner before heading in. "Last thing I need is another witness."

Curtis did as instructed and Todd was placed back in the bedroom.

Adler took a deep breath before opening the door. He wanted to look as 'normal' as possible, so he plastered a smile on his face and assumed the overly cheery disposition that seemed to infest everyone in this city.

"Good, morning little boy." Adler winched at the jovial paperboy before him. "Don't you know it's rude to knock on doors at five in the morning, hmm?"

TJ could easily see that this man was faking his behavior, and, if one was to look hard enough, twitching could be seen troubling Adler's right eye.

"Uh, sorry, but there uh, seems to be a problem with the delivery you ordered." TJ wasn't certain why a paperboy would stop at a house. It had never happened at his home before and he had never been a delivery boy before.

"Maybe that's because I never Ordered a paper!" Adler took another breath to try and clam himself.

"Oh I'm sure you did. Because, uh, my route says everyone on this street gets a paper. So, uh, you need to pay your subscription or . . . I'm going to have to tell the boss to, come here and get it himself." TJ was proud of his story. It sounded so believable and it had taken Adler by surprise. Plus, if Adler didn't want any adults coming to his house, he would have to pay the fee.

TJ watched as Adler fiddled with his pockets in search of some money.

Violet on the other hand, was trying to see which room Todd had been moved to. She could only hope Curtis wouldn't be there watching him. Violet watched the house, praying that a light would come on in one of the windows showing where Scoops had been taken . . . but no such luck.

"Oh my, oh my." Violet suddenly felt very tired. The night had worn her out and was testing her faith to its limit. What could she do? She had to help him, that's what. Gathering all her wits and strength, Violet began crawling toward the house. Slowly at first, and cautious of even her breathing. Violet was fearful of being caught and even more fearful of the thought of failing Todd. Adler was still at the door with TJ when Violet got to one of the house's windows. Upon her tiptoes, Violet peered into the room. It was empty. Violet slipped over to the next window. Bingo.

Curtis led Scoops back into the room and sent a quick glance over his shoulder. Violet watched the man speak with Todd. The boy didn't seem as frightened by this man as he had the first, but Violet knew better than to make her presences known now. As the second man exited back into the hall, Violet reached up and lightly tapped on the window.

"Scoops," her breathy call faintly permeated the glass. "Scoops I'm here to rescue you."

The boy looked at the window in skepticism, mouthing Violet's name.

"Don't worry," Violet spoke as she began trying to open the window. "TJ and I are going to save you and then get these bad men arrested." Violet struggled with the glass for several moments. No matter how she pulled at the window, it wouldn't budge. "Come on window." Violet continued to struggle.

Todd could only watch in slight fear. He glanced back at the door and then back to Violet. He knew that window wouldn't open; he had tried opening it before. There didn't appear to be a lock on the window and yet it held its position flawlessly. Todd was beginning to feel uncomfortable watching Violet. What if Adler came in and saw Violet outside? Would he kidnap her too?

"Just stop," Todd began waving his hands at the girl. "Go get help." Todd motioned for Violet to leave, but she didn't seem to notice. As Violet gave yet another large tug on the window, Todd saw a sudden burst of sparks erupt from the bottom of the window across the sill. That must mean the window was electrically sealed. The window was electrically sealed!!

"Stop!" Todd neglected his volume level. "Violet you have to stop!"

The door to the room quickly opened as Curtis re-entered to check the noise. When he saw the girl on the outside he knew immediately what was happening. Violet saw Curtis' entrance as well. She wasn't certain what Todd was trying to say, but she knew she needed to save her friend now. With everything she had left Violet grabbed the window; Todd turned to face Curtis; the man glared out at the girl.

Just then the window's defense mechanism kicked into high gear. Before Violet had a chance to step away from the window, the glass erupted in an electric explosion. The glass shattered as Violet was blown back and away from the window. Todd and Curtis both covered their ears at the sound.

"Violet?" Once the crash had stopped, Todd looked back for Violet. He quickly ran to the recently opened window and looked around. "Violet!?"

The girl had been forced back out into the waters of the lake. She wasn't unconscious, but she wasn't in a state to swim on her own either; she was going to drown! Todd wasted no time climbing out of the window and running down to the edge of the water.

"Get back in here!" Curtis tried to follow Todd, but the window proved too small for him.

The noise was heard from the front of the house as well. Just as TJ was about to collect a small sum of money, Adler turned on his heels and went back into the house.

"Wait!" TJ tried to stall. "You still owe the delivery fee!"

Todd continued to stand on the shore of the lake watching a disoriented Violet try to keep her head above water. His feet felt firmly rooted, just as they had when he tried to cross the bridge with Becky. Why couldn't he move?

"Come on." Todd gritted his teeth as he urged his body to enter the water. Why wouldn't he save her? He knew how to swim; Violet was his friend he didn't want to see her die. "Move, come on, move." It was then Violet's head went under water and Tuesday came flooding back to Todd's mind. Drowning . . . he was afraid of drowning. Without even being in the water his body was going into panic mode. But then something else seemed to overcome the boy.

Quickly removing his shoes, Todd waded out into the lake. The further he went, the higher and higher the water raised; soon to his chin. It was now or never; He wouldn't let Violet drown.

Todd took a breath and went under. He waved his arms around the best he could in hopes of finding Violet. Slowly he began to open one eye. Perhaps he would be able to make out his surroundings; the water was too murky however to see anything, and the dirt began to sting. Todd closed his eye and forced himself to go deeper into the water. His lungs were beginning to protest the time spent submerged, yet Todd refused to give up. It was his fault she was here in the first place; he couldn't let her drown, no one should have to suffer like that. He couldn't allow that. Suddenly his hand struck something.

Todd came alongside what he was hoping was Violet's body, luckily it was. Todd gathered Violet up under the arms and endeavored to swim back to the surface of the water. Unfortunately, this proved more difficult then Todd had first imagined. Violet's body was weighed down by the princess costume she was in; the dead weight wasn't helpful either.

Air was becoming scarce!

He kicked and flared about in the water to no avail. There was no way he could pull both himself and Violet back to shore.

What if swimming wasn't the solution? Todd quickly thought back to how WordGirl had managed to move the group under water. He didn't remember much but she seemed to be flying more than swimming. Perhaps he too needed to do something different. Maybe . . . maybe he could walk Violet out. That could work. If he allowed himself to sink to the bottom of the lake he could drag Violet out.

Against his body's will, Todd allowed himself to sink down. His lungs again complained about the activity, nevertheless Todd did his best to ignore that burning. Walking on the lake's floor was a slower process them Todd had imagined, but it was working. And just when he thought he could take no more, the surface of the water broke and Todd was able to take a breath of relief. Todd brought Violet's head above the water to which she took a quick and small gasp; a sign she hadn't drown. As the two came further out of the water, Violet's costume became more cumbersome. Once Todd felt that he was far enough out of the lake to sit and still breathe air, he did so. Violet tried her best to sit up next to him; facing the lake.

"You," Violet spoke softly still a bit dizzy from her ordeal. "Saved me."

Todd laughed a bit uncomfortably at the thought of just being that deep under water. "It was nothing." He could only hope he'd never have to do that again. But to Violet it was a big something. With the little energy she had acquired from her thankful state, Violet leaned over and gave Todd a small kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you so much."

Todd responded with a blush. He suddenly felt a more intimidating feeling than that brought on by his phobia.

The tender moment wasn't given a chance to last much longer though. Adler's voice came up behind the couple startling them from their blissful daze.

"Now isn't that sweet," both youth turned around to look up at the man. It seemed he hadn't lost his entire arsenal to the police. Adler stood holding a gun at the pair; Curtis standing reluctantly close by while clenching TJ's arm. "I don't have time to deal with more witnesses, and I'm not going to." Adler tilted the weapon toward Todd first.

Rain? A few sprinkles began to fall, then a few more, and a few more. Soon a noise louder than anything else the group had heard could be heard across the lake. A torrential rain was racing across the lake and in the direction of the small group. Before Adler could think to pull the trigger, the rain was upon them, and visibility was zero.

Adler's voice came out as only a mumble thru the clamoring rain. Todd quickly reached over and helped Violet to her feet. Even without being able to see clearly, the two managed to get around Adler. Violet's fatigue tripped Todd up however, as he couldn't pull her along as fast as he was trying to move.

"I'm sorry." Violet strived to be heard over the water. It was all just too much for her, and then . . . the rain stopped. The five people stood frozen for a moment; dripping . . . moreover TJ heard opportunity knocking. TJ was compelled to action, speedily stomping on Curtis' foot to obtain his freedom. Once free from his captor, TJ came next to Todd to help him up praying they'd have enough time to get away from whatever it was Adler was holding. Unfortunately the three never got far enough in their escape attempt. Adler snapped out of his momentarily confusion and readied his weapon once more.

The kids gasped as Adler wasted no time in firing on them . . . or at least he tried to. The trigger was pulled but only a dull thud came from the weapon. The powder had gotten wet.

Regrettably Alder's anger hadn't dampened as he longed forward at the group of kids.

"No, this has to stop." Adler's assault was blocked.

It was Curtis who came to the small groups rescue this time. He ran in-between the group and Adler, slowing the enraged man down as he did his best to hold him back. All the kids, especially Todd, could hardly believe their eyes.

"Go, get going!" Curtis called over his shoulder still wrestling with Adler.

The group did as they were told, both boys helping Violet along back up to the road. TJ sent a worried glance back toward the two men just in time to see Adler gain the upper hand with a punch to Curtis' stomach.

"We need to hide, now," TJ looked everywhere for a means of hiding . . . but then another option came into view. A motorcycle seemed to be heading their way. TJ began waving his arms in hopes of flagging it down. He wasn't completely sure how this passerby could be of any help, but right now he was desperate. And to his amazement, the motorist stopped. The man driving the bike was indeed a stranger to TJ, but his bike had a sidecar, so what else mattered.

"Hello there young man, I know this might-" Before the man could make any type of proper introduction, the three kids were packing into the vehicle. Todd helped Violet into the sidecar while TJ Climbed up to share the seat with the driver. "Well, that was easy." The driver laughed.

"We need to go, Now! Please." TJ ordered and the bike revved up. The small group was far out of reach of Adler who could only stare in aggravated disbelief as his witnesses sped off into the dawn.


	23. Good, Remember?

Disclaimer: I do not own WordGirl. This is a fanfiction and it in no way reflects the views of the show's creators.

A/N: Life is still racing, but in three weeks school will be out and I can focus on more pleasurable things. Including starting chapter 24. Thanks for the patience.

* * *

The waters of the lake splashed against the bank shaping the sand and withdrawing pulling small stones and foliage with it. It was a very solemn landscape to behold, yet Adler took great pleasure in witnessing the repetitive scene. He didn't mind the rain dampening his clothes or the wind that slightly chilled him. This was an escape; and one that could rarely be appreciated at home.

"I've done so much."

The memory of releasing the princess floated into Adler's mind. How easy it would have been to kill her then. He would have been hailed a hero, but that wouldn't be enough to get him crowned king. No, Adler had known exactly what he had to do.

"Let her go then, drag her back now, and kill her on the eve of the king's death."

Automatic kingship. How dare Curtis call him a traitor.

But now that he had found the son of the late prince of Britannica . . . this changed everything. Adler didn't even know this boy existed, no one did. But if word of Tobey's existence ever got back to Britannica, all those years of Adler's life would have been wasted.

"Theodore." The name made Adler want to gnash his teeth. "You've thought of everything haven't you?" Adler's gaze fell out over the lake to the place of the explosion; his mind consumed by the thoughts of the first infiltration of Lexicon. A mission Adler couldn't easily forget.

It was eighteen years ago and Adler was just a soldier taking orders instead of giving them; as he had when he let the princess go. The king of Britannica had ordered an attack on Lexicon to kill the royal family who, at that time, were only three persons. Lexicon would be easily over thrown, and Britannica would rule all.

It was night time on Lexicon, but the sky was lit with the glow of weapons and war. Over the heads of the sleepy civilians was the Lexiconian air force fighting back the Britannican advance. War ships of every kind were battling in the sky and some . . . were falling back down. War was never supposed to be a pretty thing, but one soldier couldn't help but be captivated by the lights in the sky. Such a shame that each burst of reddish orange light meant that someone's father wasn't coming home, or someone's brother was gone, someone's aunt would never see them again.

Theodore MacCallister II stood memorized by the scene above. He was so preoccupied that he didn't notice his squad moving out. He had been assigned to work with a small group of highly trained soldiers whose mission was to infiltrate the Suidas palace and kill the royal family.

"Hey, your majesty," one of Theodore's comrades whispered to him. "We have to get moving. If we linger any loner they're sure to find us."

"Uh, of course."

The small group did their best to remain hidden on the rather barren terrain of Lexicon until they came upon the domed city harboring Suidas. There was only one gate into the city, but this small team would make no use of it. Britannica had already taken over many other planets that had specialized in technology, and they would make use of those machines, and people, whenever necessary. The small group was able to cut thru the protective glass and enter the city unnoticed.

"Okay," The leader of the group, Lieutenant Scots, spoke up; Theodore gave, most of his attention. "The king wants this done without any of us being caught. That said, I'm only allowing three of us to enter the palace while the rest of you cover. Theodore."

"Uh, uh, yes." The young prince straightened up.

"You maybe royalty but this is war. If you can't stay forced you're gunna get yourself killed, you got it?"

"Uh,"

"I said, do you got it, private?"

"Yes, sir."

Scots shook his head. Theodore lowered his. The prince knew his being there was a great burden on the rest of the military. He wasn't trained in combat, but upon his father's insistence he came. Insistence? No, on his father's command he came.

"Now listen to me boys," Scots gestured for the men to listen. "Adler, Theodore and I will be going into the palace, Andrew, Colin and William, you three will guard our point of entrée. If anyone comes near that point, you are to radio us and then get out of there, understood."

"Yes sir!" All the men responded accept Theodore. Scots eyed the inexperienced private, secretly wishing there was another way. But the king had demanded his son be taken on this mission and given, "The opportunity to prove his dedication to being king of Britannica's future." Scots wasn't certain what all that meant, but he was going to follow the orders of his king and captain. Hopefully Theodore could keep himself from getting captured.

"Let's move boys." The small group, armed with nothing more but communication devices and one petite laser gun, made their way to Suidas. They dressed as casual as possible before coming on this mission so as not to draw attention to themselves. No one seemed to notice them as most Lexiconians were distracted by the battle happening in space; that and no one on Lexicon could imagine anyone being able to infiltrate their city.

The band of men moved tirelessly to the wall built around the palace. There were several guard towers built along the wall, but, as with the citizens, the royal guards were preoccupied.

"Andrew, Colin, Will," Scots whispered and pointed to an abandoned lot across from the south wall. "Remember to call if any thing's amiss." Scots signaled for the other two men to follow him.

The south tower provided the safest entrée. There was only one guard due to the strength and height of the wall. The guard was probably sidetracked as well; the three Britannicans could be up and have subdued the man in no time. To which they did. The technology they had 'acquired' proved most helpful in shutting down Suidas' security system from within the south tower. Everything was going according to plan.

Theodore simply watched Scots and Adler work. They set up the equipment needed to scale the wall, they shut down security, they hacked the computers to upload the palace map into the communicators, they devised the route needed to best kill the king and then escape . . . they did just about everything.

Theodore glanced out of the tower window in time to see yet another ship fall from the sky in a burst of orange light. He couldn't tell to whom that ship's alliance lay, but from where he stood, it was a tragic sight nonetheless. People were dying.

"Theodore!"

The young prince was snapped out of his thoughts by his lieutenant.

"Y, yes sir." His voice trembled in his throat.

"You and Adler will take the west wing of the palace; there you will find the queen's cambers. She and the new born should be there. Finish them off and then use the map to get out. Remember, no noise and don't be seen." Scots then took hold of Adler's neck and brought him close to himself so that Theodore couldn't over hear. "I'm trusting you to take care of him son. I respect the prince, but it's clear he can't fight for nothing, got it?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, carry on then." With that lieutenant Scots made his way down the tower stair and to the east wing.

Adler opened his communicator and began to follow the map downloaded inside. He read it quickly before looking up to Theodore with a wicked smile.

"If we hurry maybe we could catch up to ol' Scots and see him do away with the king." Adler hastened to the stairs.

Theodore sent one more worried look to the sky before following his partner. Oh how sick it made him . . . Theodore was accustomed to the lavished living of palace life. Growing up in one, Theodore couldn't help but feel he was at home, hiding in his own shadows, preying after his own family. Everything about this felt wrong and yet . . . here he was, in a war he wanted nothing to do with, but could do nothing to stop.

The Suidas staff were all frightened by the events of the evening and had stationed themselves at the windows of the palace. The halls were virtually empty, making Theodore's and Adler's journey an easy one. Even the stationed guards had left their posts to view the scenes outside.

"What luck," Adler whispered to his partner. "The queen's door only has one guard. What's these Lexiconians' problem? I swear their retarded or something."

Or just greatly confused; these words drifted thru Theodore's mind, but he hadn't the courage to mouth them. He couldn't imagine this kind of calamity happening to his home. These people were scared, and rightly so. How could anyone perform their job accurately when warships could be crashing down on their loved ones, or their friends were being blown to bits in the sky.

The two Britannican men were standing just around the corner of their intended target. Adler peered around only for a minute more before facing Theodore.

"Okay," Adler motioned to his partner to come closer. "Lieutenant Scots wants you to actually kill the prince, so what I'll do is take out the guard allowing you to get in. But you gotta kill 'em quick 'cause we can't afford any miss-ups. Sound good?"

"Actually . . ."

"Let's go." Adler raced around the corner. He knew better than to fire his weapon; everyone would have heard it and come running. Instead he ran straight for the unsuspecting guard tackling him much like a football player would. Before the man could scream for help, Adler pulled his small pistol from its hidden position and proceeded to knock the man out of consciousness. "Theodore move!" Adler mocked yelled as his partner hesitantly came around the wall.

Adler motioned for Theodore to enter the room while he stood watch at the door. Theodore took a deep breath and placed a hand on the queen's door, but he couldn't gain the courage to open it.

"What are you waiting for?" Adler barked at the young prince.

"I, I . . ."

"Just go shoot 'em. The walls sound proof; what are you waiting for? Move!"

At this prompting Theodore quickly opened the door, his breathing so shallow he felt as if he may pass out. What took merely seconds to transpire felt like years to the prince of Britannica. Standing in that dark room, his partner coaching him from behind made the prince experience a kind of suffering he had only heard of; guilt, the quilt of a murderer. Theodore's heart pounded against his chest; his hands too moist to grip a weapon let alone aim it. His face felt so hot that his vision blurred; his mind devoid of good advice. Every inch of his skin seemed to crawl with nervous anticipation; could he do this?

For one moment the room was silent except for the raspy breathing of the Britannican prince. Then, a light turned on.

And sitting up in the room's bed was Queen Shuowen. A stunned look fixed on her face as her hand remained motionless on the lamp switch beside her bed. What should have taken mere seconds had transpired into years. . .

Adler shook his head of the memories of that night. He wanted nothing more to do with them; nothing more to do with Theodore. As Adler tried to turn and enter the lake house the memories seemed to follow him. As he tried to forget . . . the memories quickly arrested him and whispered the reminder . . .

As Adler rose from holding the lifeless guard on the floor outside of the queen's bedroom, Theodore turned to face him. And before any words could pass between the two Britannicans, Theodore drew his weapon. Adler stood at gun point at the hands of his prince; a member of the royal family he had swore his life to when he signed up to join the service.

"Sir . . ?" Adler choked out, confused by the prince's actions.

"Get out of here." The words were steady and firm; a tone the prince had never taken before.

"B-b-but the mission . . ?"

"Is over Adler," Theodore took hold of the door. "Get the others, and get out of here." Theodore closed the door.

Adler stood dumbfounded. What was happening here?

Adler waited, hoping that Theodore had simply wanted to do this mission alone as a way to show his bravery as Britannica's future king . . . but as moments passed, there was no gun shot, no cry, no nothing. What was the prince doing?!

Suddenly the halls to Suidas began to team with life. Guards were coming from all over, abandoning their former obsession with the war outside to deal with the infiltration of the palace. But how could they have known, Adler questioned as he began to make his retreat, could Theodore have warned the queen?

As Adler navigated thru the halls, it became apparent that the guards had little interest in going the way Adler had come. But if the queen had called for help, why were the guards . . . It was then Adler realized what was happening: Theodore had told the queen where Scots was heading; the east wing.

Adler couldn't just leave his father, so he made his way back to the west wing. There he could take the uniform of the unconscious guard and hopefully save his da . . . Lieutenant Scots. It was a long shot, but it had to work.

Adler hastened to the east wing, trying to blend with the Lexiconian men that surrounded him. How it terrified him to think of what would happen if they found out who he was. He was boxed in by the time the king's quarters came into view.

Just thinking about this time in his life made Adler's heart race. His fear seemed to ring in his ears when Lexicon's guards burst into the king's room, pulling Adler in like they were a wave thrusting him into the rocks of the shore.

The king's room was large and must have doubled as his office. The center of the room was open with a circular red rug placed perfectly center on the floor, in which Adler's father stood in the middle of. Adler had to stifle a gasp as the scene played out before him.

Lexicon's king stood at his desk watching the Britannican lieutenant remain valiantly firm in his final moments. Lexicon's captain of the guard, who was indubitably distracted by the warships just moments ago, had somehow been warned of Scots coming. The captain had Scots focused at the end of his weapon way before Scots could have ever thought to pull his.

"Captain Noah," King Flaccus's voice filled the large room and shook Adler to his core. "I charge this man, before you and these other witnesses, of the attempted murder of your king. I sentence him to immediate death, after which he will be stripped of his uniform and disposed in the most disreputable fashion known to Lexicon."

The king's orders were carried out on the spot, as the body was dragged out on the rug.

"And Noah, for your bravery and loyalty to your king, I promise before these witnesses to honor you and your family for this and all generations."

Adler could hardly hear the king's speech afterward.

As the waves continued to beat along the coastline by the lake house, Adler fought back the sorrow burning in his eyes.

"I'm going to make you pay for that Theodore." Adler breathed thru clenched teeth. "I will not be made the traitor because of you. I will not fail, not again, and not for you."

After a moment, Adler's anger subsided and he was allowed to once more hold his calm composure. He wasn't weak. This deep sorrow didn't make him weak. It made him stronger. His bitterness had fueled the fire that will drive him to victory.

"I'm the top royal advisor," Adler assured the wind that wisped past. "Every since that boy became a traitor I was respected for having the courage to escape with my life and the other men. We survived that day because of my abilities. I watched my dad die because of Theodore, but I was still strong enough to serve my king. To be loved by him in the absence of his traitorous son."

Adler faced the wasters again with a renewed sense of purpose; a smile carelessly strung across his face.

"I got dad's revenge on Noah, and now I'm going to see to it that King Flaccus's promise is passed to the next generation." Adler laughed in amusement; the wind blew strongly in his face as if to disagree with him. "There is no doubt. WordGirl can't run forever, I'll kill her and then be king over both planets. And I will enjoy the death of Theodore's son; it will be the icing on the cake."

Adler's attention was then drawn down to the railing of the pouch he was on. A small bee was struggling in the wind. The insect must have been wondering about earlier that day before the rain started and he was now stranded miles from home. Adler stared at the small creature. It reminded him of himself that night on Lexicon.

"Fighting insurmountable odds."

No, Adler had overcome those odds. He didn't allow his father's death to stop him, he allowed it to mold him into the fine solider trusted as the head for the next Lexicon invasion. He allowed it to encourage him not to take pity on King Flaccus and Queen Shuowen or their sons, not on Noah or his wife. He tamed that unbridled rage to allow him the opportunity to drag Noah's daughter before the Britannican court and slay her on sight, thus making him worthy enough to be king.

Yes, he was justified in wanting to kill Theodore's son. Curtis didn't see it, but he knew he was justified.

Adler looked to the bee.

"It is WordGirl who faces insurmountable odds now," Adler raised a fist over the struggling creature. "And I'm about to crush her flat."

o.

"It seems all the accommodations are in order." Nona smiled widely at the wagon full of supplies that she was taking back to the ship. The night was still young and the daring lakeside rescue had not yet taken place. Nona had only taken about twenty minutes loading up her supplies. "Now all I need to do is figure out how I'm going to fix WordGirl's ship so we can get out of here." The woman frowned as she looked back at her boat. "If only my ship were big enough for additional passengers."

Nona was only expecting to find WordGil on the planet Earth. The fact Tobey and Huggy were now coming along didn't help her situation.

"I can't wait for another ship to be delivered," Nona began pulling the wagon back to the hideout. "Zephyr would kill me if that happened." The woman laughed a bit to herself thinking of her employer's reaction. "I can hear him now, 'I told you to be back here days ago, why did you take so long! You want Britannica to win don't you!' Ha ha."

Nona continued walking in the direction of the ship humming a few tunes as she did so. She enjoyed the picturesque woods, the island, the Earthen sky. There was something pleasant about this planet; so pleasant in fact that it was hard to understand why anyone would want to leave it.

"This planet is so beautiful." Nona thought aloud as she moved her gaze from one tree to the next. "The changing weather, the living plants, even the dirt seems better here. There are lakes and oceans, and people from so many different cultures. The sheer joy of breathing naturally recycled air is a marvel in and of itself."

"I concur."

A voice startled Nona from her thoughts. The woman spun around releasing her hold on the wagon's handle. Who could that have been? Who else was on the island? Nona's mind raced with questions. If someone was here, Tobey's, WordGirl's and her true identities were in danger. She could only pray that this person hadn't found out that WordGirl was the princess of Lexicon.

"Who's there?" Nona asked the darkness hugging the trunks of the trees. "I demand that you reveal yourself and your intentions." Her fear was prevalent in her voice.

"Oh my no, I don't mean to frighten you." A figure began to emerge from around a tree. "I simply wanted to agree with you sentiments about nature. Masterful isn't it?" The man stood before Nona and extended his hand in a friendly manner. "Name's Professor James Dohickey." James stood still for several moments before he realized she wasn't going to take his hand.

"What are you doing here?" Nona only glared at him.

James allowed an uncomfortable smile to dominate his face as he continued to do his best to engage in cheery conversation.

"I probably should ask you that since I own this spit of land." He pulled his hand back.

"Do you?" the woman seemed to be thinking for a moment. "I'm sorry to trespass . . ."

"It's not an intrusion at all." James' mirth returned to him. "It can get pretty lonesome out here and I do enjoy company. Tell me, are you camping out here?" James motioned to the wagon.

"No, I'm . . . bringing some items to a friend who's been saying out here for a while. I'm not certain if she knew you owned this island or not but . . ."

James held his hand up to stop Nona. He then bent to pick up the handle to the wagon and gestured for Nona to lead the way.

"I think I might know to whom you're referring."

"Who?" Nona asked too urgently. James laughed in response. "What?"

"You don't have to worry. I'm friends with WordGirl too. In fact I've been harboring her ship here since she crashed it almost, I'd say, ten years ago. I was coming out here to check the disturbance made by your boat." He began walking toward the ship to Nona's dismay. "To be honest I'm glad to see she's trusting more people with her secret."

"So you're human and you've known her whereabouts all along?" Nona couldn't believe this. This human had come in contact with Lexiconian technology. Not only was that against High Law, but he was putting himself in danger of being eliminated by the ship's defense mechanism.

"Yes I have." James boasted. "My laboratory is just east of here. I like studying my new inventions away from the city, you know, just in case something goes wrong. Nobody messes with my island so I thought it would make the perfect hideout for our city's superhero."

"Did you ever report the ship when it crashed? Do others know it's here?" Nona got right up in James' face startling the man and causing him to stop. "You have to tell me everything, now!"

James stepped back from the woman.

"You are a friend of WordGirl aren't you?"

Nona couldn't respond. This couldn't be happening. High Law forbids this kind of interaction with Earth. This man was in direct violation of all that kept Earth safe from intergalactic contact. It was bad enough the whole city knew WordGirl was from Lexicon, but if this man was learning about Lexicon . . . she didn't want to think about it.

"Please tell me you've never told anyone about the ship."

"Well, I could tell you that," James watched Nona relax a bit. "But that would be a lie." Nona almost fainted. "Well I don't want to fib."

"What do you know? Who have you told?"

"First off, I'm the only one who knows the ship is here. Well, now you know, but based on your actions I presume you're from Lexicon too so it shouldn't matter."

"I'm not from Lexicon. I –I'm human."

"Your actions betray you." James hardened his expression as he studied the panicky woman before him. "I'm guessing no one was supposed to know about the ship?"

"Correct," Nona sighed. This mission was getting harder to keep secret. WordGirl had way too much interaction with the people of Earth for this to be a smooth transition. Nona looked around her surroundings and found an old log; she sat to rest her head in her hands. "I guess it doesn't matter if I tell you since you've pretty much figured it out . . . I-"

"Please don't." James joined the woman. "Obviously you wanted to keep this a secret, and I have the same intentions, I assure you. Allow me to set your mind at ease. As I've explained before, I live and work here making inventions for the city. Ten years ago I heard WordGirl's ship crash and I came to investigate. I was astounded by what I saw. A real alien spaceship; no small find for a scientist. I didn't want to tell anyone what I had found just yet. I never have told the location of the ship. I didn't want to worry the city at first; you know, alien invasion, stuff like that."

Nona only buried her face deeper in her hands. He continued.

"I studied the ship for days. I could tell it was damaged but I couldn't figure out how to open it or if anything was inside, but then the door opened. I'd never seen a door open like that before. It was as if the wall just, melted away. And there I was, about to make first contact . . ."

Did this man love hearing his own voice?

"Look," Nona sighed still covering her face. "I don't have time for this long story. You never told anyone about the ship being out here, right?"

"Right."

"And you've never been in the ship before, right?"

"Well actually, after I helped Captain Huggyface get a ride to the city, I became fast friends with the alien life. I kept their hideout a secret and in turn we have become like neighbors. Sharing technology, borrowing sugar, calling to ask if the other's electricity went out . . ."

"Have You Been In The Ship Or Not!?" Nona shot daggers from her eyes as she glared at the man. James was so surprised by the sudden outburst he slipped off the log and to the ground. He quickly got to his feet and stepped back away from the woman.

"I'm sorry," Nona quickly added. "I'm just under a lot of stress right now."

"I have been in the ship, but it was because WordGirl let me in. She wanted to thank me by letting me see some of her gadgetry. I only shared the simple machines with my colleagues, nothing else."

"Thank you."

The two were silent for a moment.

"I am from a planet similar to WordGirl's and I have come to take her back home," she tried to understand the look on the man's face. "She wasn't supposed to land here all those years ago. I, along with Captain HuggyFace, was supposed to take her to another home on Thesauria. But things went wrong and the two of them landed here. No one on Earth should know we exist, but I guess it's too late for that."

James heaved a sigh and straightened his glasses.

"Are you really going to take her away?"

"I have to. I'm sorry, but I have to. It's for her safety and Earth's. I need you to keep everything you saw a secret; it will be better that way."

There was a distant roll of thunder as a strong gust of wind sped past the two adults. Initiatively James looked up and spoke.

"She's here."

"Then I should be going." Nona rose to her feet. She grabbed the handle on the wagon. "I need to get working on fixing the ship."

Nona passed by James who seemed to be in a daze. The news of losing a friend must have been too much for him. He just kept gazing at the sky as if waiting for the words he just heard to make sense. They never would. Nona couldn't just keep walking. She dropped the handle again and went back to the man.

"I really am sorry, trust me, she'll be happy were she's going."

"So we'll never see her again?"

Nona raised an eyebrow. 'We?' Then it hit her. This man was speaking on behalf of the whole city. This city has been living with the little heroine for ten years now; they loved her like they did any other part of their city . . . but they would grow to forget.

"With time, you'll feel better."

"And her family?"

"I was never able to locate them, but they'll just have to cope with the loss like any other parent would . . ."

"But they're not going to cope are they? You're planet obviously hasn't!" James had snapped out of his stupor and was now advancing on Nona. "I'm not going to let you just take her away without saying goodbye."

"It isn't safe for her . . ." Nona's thoughts drifted to Adler.

"If it isn't safe for WordGirl, then who is it safe for?"

Nona just lowered her head for a moment.

"I understand that you think WordGirl has to leave. And I can even buy the idea that it's dangerous for her here, but may I ask you something?" James asked softly.

No response.

"May I come with you?"

Nona sized the man next to her and allowed her disgust to show.

"You said I already broke 'High Law' or whatever, so what risks have you. Please let me come. I want to help her. I want her to get home, and come home."

Nona stood and studied this man's face. She had just met him, and yet it felt like she was staring at a familiar face. This man had help take care the girl she had failed so many years ago. Nona knew how it felt to care for a child in WordGirl's position. James wasn't bent on hurting the young princess; he was truly looking out for her best interest. And to be honest with herself, Nona didn't like the idea of taking WordGirl away from her Earth family any more then James did.

"This trip is to save her life, and the odds are we won't be coming back."

"I don't have a family I need to come back to. . . WordGirl needs someone to help her speak on Earths behave. If you take her away, this city will have a hard time fighting its crime. Please let me talk to your superior about it. Maybe I can convince them to . . ."

"They aren't going to listen, Mr. Dohickey. WordGirl . . ." sigh. "I can't explain it all to you, but if you want to come and aid WordGirl in this transition from Earth to Thesauria, I won't stop you." It was against her better judgment, but she couldn't resist the offer. WordGirl deserved at least one earthen companion; even one as clueless as James.

Nona and James arrived at the ship. The side door to the ship melted away as the two adults approached it. Nona stepped in first. The ship was large enough for six people to live in comfortably. All the conveniences of modern living were included. Bathroom, kitchen, playroom, everything an escaping family would need. And thanks to Huggy's efforts, the ship was still neat and fueled. The only problem was the ship's damaged inner workings. Nona looked to James.

"You said you invented things right?"

"I do dabble in the science of mechanics, why?"

"If I lead you to the gears of this ship, do you think you could fix them?"

James thought for a moment and then smiled widely. How could he pass up a chance to tinker with Lexiconian technology?

"I can give it a try."

"Just don't sabotage it."

Just in the other room, Tobey and WordGirl had begun their face off. Tobey stood face to face with WordGirl now, just as frustrated as she. WordGirl looked tired and worn out from hours of useless hunting. She felt like a failure, and in more ways than one. She had failed her city, her family and her dearest friends. And now, she was even failing her enemies.

"Where's Becky?" Tobey was turning red from his anger. Here he was goofing around WordGirl's lair thinking she was off saving the day, and all she was doing was looking for Scoops . . . Tobey knew it was wrong to expect WordGirl to only save Becky, and yet the pain of it felt legitimate. He was justified in the concern he felt for Becky. "Where is she!"

WordGirl glanced back at the computer, her left hand still clenching Todd's hat like a dowsing rod seeking after him, though it wasn't. She wanted to tell Tobey that she didn't know where Becky was or that he shouldn't be in her hideout, but the words felt like marbles rolling around on her tongue. They would slop out if she tried to speak; slop out and scatter to undistinguishable hiding places in the room. So WordGirl kept her mouth shut, seeing there were no right words for this moment. Because the right words could only be:

"I don't know. I don't know where I am. And I wish I could be found, because somewhere in my failures and lies, I've lost myself. Behind the facade of heroism that I have built, I abused the facade I wore- the real me that you can't find."

"I'm not sure where Becky is." WordGirl spoke softly, toying with the map still present on the computer. "She'll be fine though, don't worry."

Tobey glared up at the map as he aliened his glasses. "Can't you look for her while you're looking for the reporter?"

WordGirl stared down at the hat.

Captain HuggyFace glanced up at WordGirl. He had come in closely behind Tobey, but hadn't made his presence known. He still remembered the state he left WordGirl in and was afraid that the circumstances would be thus. Todd was nowhere to be found and the Adler threat was more serious than he first expected. Adler would do anything to get to WordGirl and Tobey, maybe Todd's kidnapping was another trick. Huggy lowered his head sadly . . . but if he had to face these overwhelming odds, he shouldn't have to do it on an empty stomach.

Huggy left the computer room and made his way to the kitchen. As long as Tobey was being watched by WordGirl there was no reason for him to stay around.

Tobey analyzed WordGirl's disheartenment.

"Please, you have to look for Becky."

"I can't really do that right now." WordGirl looked back down at the hat, fingering the fabric, lost in her distraction.

"What?!" Tobey tried to hold his temper, but watching this so-called hero twiddle her thumbs while his friend needed saving . . . well it was just too much. And what was so interesting about that hat! Tobey snatched the reporter's hat from WordGirl's hands and positioned himself right in her face. "You're supposed to be a hero! So why don't you get out there and save people! Two-Brains is doing a better job than you."

"You think I'm unaware that I've failed the city!" The tears gushed from Becky's eyes like hot streams, but her words poured like a blistering current of rampant passions. "You think I'm unaware that WordGirl's unable to save the city. Crimes out of control, Scoops is missing, my family thinks I hate them and I keep lying to my friends. Well guess what Tobey, I know that. I can't save your Becky because she doesn't even exist. I'm just a failure."

Tobey wasn't certain how to respond to this sudden outburst. It was as if all the stability left in his world had finally faded away. . . There was no hero, there was no way to make it better. Just when life had given him something good, she would be placed in some weapon wielding lunatic's hands. . . WordGirl wasn't everything he had made her out to be in his head . . . or his heart.

"It doesn't pay to be good," Tobey said gently; WordGirl dried her eyes frantically trying to regain control of her emotions. "Being good, just isn't good enough."

"Don't . . . don't say that." WordGirl uttered.

"Look where it got Becky and Scoops, it didn't save them. And you seem to fail at it." Tobey tossed the hat to the side. "I did something good and it almost got me killed. You've tried to do 'good' and the evil still beats you. There's just no point in being good."

"Yes there is," WordGirl was on the defensive. "I help save people so that . . ."

"So they can be killed by something else. Good going hero!" Tobey spat. "The only reason you're a hero is because it gives you a nice feeling, some kind of purpose. You fly around saving people so you think you're a 'good' person. But now you see that your good works aren't anything but band aid solutions. Well the city's doomed thanks to your 'good works,' and I'm guessing you're getting too tired to keep trying them."

WordGirl couldn't believe what she was hearing . . . or that she couldn't think of a strong rebuttal. . . or that she wanted to believe them. She was tired from doing good. It caused her to lie, miss out on her friends and leave Scoops behind when he needed her most. She had saved Scoops just for him to end up kidnapped. Even her good intentions to spend Saturday with Violet had turned up wrong. And thinking about it now, she had always been lying to her parents to be a superhero. . . But wasn't that a good thing? Being a hero wasn't about feeling good, it was about helping people. Isn't that why she became a superhero?

She had never really thought about why she had become a superhero before. It just seemed like the right thing to do. 'If you have superpowers you should be a superhero.' It just made sense. But that explanation didn't seem good enough now. 'It is the right thing to do; helping people.' But what made it right? Because the people said it was right or, because it really was?

"Good- of a high quality or standard, either on an absolute scale or in relation to others-having or showing an upright and virtuous character-the positive part or aspect of something. Right-accurate, or consistent with the facts or general belief-morally justified and correct, or consistent with generally held ideas of morality and proper conduct."

"Stop it, I didn't ask you to define a word."

"I'm not defining it for you!"

"I'm the only one in here!"

"Whoa! Settle down!" Nona's voice cut thru shouting. "Children, I think it's time for both of you to relax from today's events and have a seat. I have something very important to tell you."


	24. Just in Case

Disclaimer: I don't own WordGirl, this is a fanfiction; nothing more.

A/N- Thanks again for the patients. Please enjoy and R&R.

* * *

The humid air whirled past the group upon the motorcycle, still too damp to dry their clothing. TJ silently turned back to see the violent stranger disappear into the night. The lake house and its crazed occupant were now far out of sight. It was over, he, Todd and Violet were now safe. . . but it was clear that they were the only ones safe.

"Where are you Becky?" The whisper slipped out of TJ's lips just loud enough for the driver to overhear. The driver said nothing. TJ lowered his head against the back of the driver. He closed his eyes tightly, the tears were coming. A whimper.

The driver could feel the warm tears soak into his shirt and knew exactly what the young man feared. The driver sighed and quietly gave his full attention to the road.

There was a small windshield on the sidecar that kept the wind off of Violet and Todd. The two were able to ride along comfortably and catch their breaths. Todd seemed to recover faster than Violet, seeing as she had just been electrocuted and suffocated. Todd glanced at her with a concerned expression on his face. He then sent his gaze up to the two persons mounted on the bike.

Huh, what a rescue team. How these people somehow saved him still didn't make sense, but who was he to complain. They saved him. To his right, Todd could see darkened houses zip past. There were streetlights . . . that he could see. The sun was going to raise, and he, wasn't . . . wasn't going to die.

A feeble quick sob escaped from his lips. Todd brought one hand to his face to mask his overwhelming sorrow, clenching his free hand as he fought the emotion.

"Scoops?" Violet's voice came as a whisper, aching, but full of concern. "What's wrong?"

Todd didn't answer at first. He didn't need to. Violet reached over as best she could and placed her hand on Todd's clenched fist. This action evoked a greater response than did her words. Todd looked at Violet's hand and then covered his face again.

The group road silently for about a mile.

"I'm taking you kids to the police station," The driver spoke at last. "They'll know how to help you better than I can."

All the children thought about these words. None of them were ready to head back to their parents just yet. Each had a reason for being out tonight and, though good deeds had been done, none of them wanted to give up on their mission.

"You can't take us there." TJ protested first lifting his tearful eyes to look at the driver. "Our parents are going to freak out and then will never be allowed to help my sister."

"I'm sorry kids, but I can't help you any further than this."

"But WordGirl can," Violet spoke as loudly as she could despite her condition to be heard over the motorbike. "We have to help her, she can't be that far from where Scoops was." Violet released Todd's hand to plead with the driver.

The driver only narrowed his eyes as he watched the road. He refused to listen to the children's cries. He was heading for the police station.

"Please, we have to find WordGirl."

"What about my sister? We're looking for Becky!" TJ shouted down at the girl beside him. "You said we were looking for my sister. Those people probably still have my sister."

"Both of you be quiet!" The driver hollered tightening his grip on the bike handles. "I'm taking you to where you'll be safe and that's final!"

"Not until I find my sister!"

TJ suddenly reached up and covered the eyes of the driver. The bike swerved on the wet roads, shaking its occupants around like a tossed salad. The driver frantically pulled at TJ's hands trying to remove them from his face without much luck. The bike began spinning around as the driver attempted to stop the vehicle.

"Let go of my face!"

"TJ let him go your going to get us killed!" Todd screamed as he reached out and took hold of the side of the car.

TJ was reluctant to listen to his companions. The driver was slowing the bike and soon he would be able to get off . . . well, the plan would have worked if it wasn't for the lights of oncoming traffic appearing in front of them.

"Uh oh." TJ released the driver's eyes to reveal to the man the danger. "Turn The Bike!"

The occupants of the oncoming vehicle had been engrossed in a rather deep conversation just minutes before they came upon the out of control motorcycle. This vehicle belonged to Dr. Two-Brains, and he and Claire had just doubled back after a failed attempt to find Tobey.

"I'm sorry Claire," Steven spoke gently only imagining the pain the woman must have been feeling. "I'm certain Captain HuggyFace is taking care of him."

Claire heaved a sigh at the thought of a monkey being the only protection for her son. Steven frowned as he looked at Claire. He knew what she was thinking, and no it wasn't much comfort. But Steven knew Huggy could be trusted. He had watched Huggy help WordGirl since she was seven years old. That monkey was the best and most loyal companion Steven could think of. Thinking of it now, Steven was kind of upset that he had been the source of such agony for the monkey due to his mental mousy break down.

"Believe me, I know him. He's a friend of mine. . . or at least he use to be. I know that WordGirl trusts him and I'm positive he's able to take care of you son."

Claire had been looking out the passenger side window for most of the trip. She didn't want to be seen crying by the villain, but his words had caused her to turn to him. And as she did, she caught a glimpse of the deranged motorbike swerving on the road.

"Look Out!" Claire pointed out the front window.

Steven slammed on the brakes as he too saw the impending collision. The vehicles came within inches of each other, the side car lightly scraping across the van, when the motorbike driver corrected the vehicle and steered it away from the van. The bike crashed down in a ditch while the van screeched to a halt long ways across the road.

Steven and Claire both quickly exited the van and made their way over to the ditch. The bike had never flipped but simply had smashed its front tire deep into the mud, flinging both the driver and TJ into the dark liquid.

"Are you okay?" Claire called to the group as Steven made his way down into the ditch.

"I think we're fine," The driver tried to steady his dizzy head. "Minor brain injuries; nothing much."

"What were you thinking?" Steven helped TJ to his feet and then went to the driver. Steven made sure both could stand safely on their own before heading to the sidecar. "You shouldn't be driving like that with children, or alone for that matter."

"Trust me," the driver glared at TJ. "I wasn't."

Violet and Todd were both assisted out of the car, dazed but no worse for wear. Steven immediately recognized the reporter. Steven gave the two a once over before confronting the man again.

"So you're helping kidnap the children!" After all the accusations and failed rescue attempts, Steven was ready to unleash his anger. "Is this what that mad man told you to do? Drive them into a ditch?"

"What? No! I'm not kidnaping anyone!"

"I'm not letting you get away this time," Steven stepped toward the driver, putting himself between the stranger and the three children. "This time you're going down."

"Well that's a little out of character for you Dr. Two-Brians, but I guess no one is acting like themselves tonight." The driver didn't take a threatening stance, he just continued to stand there as if hoping Steven would back down on his own. And to some extent, it worked.

"Do I," Steven was a bit puzzled by the man's response. "Know you from somewhere."

"More likely from nowhere," the driver smiled innocently. "But I think it's safe to say that I should be going. I think the kids will be safe with you." The driver quit his cheerful disposition. "I can't believe I just said that."

"You're . . . you sound like . . ."

"Sh," the driver warned looking past the mousy villain to see Claire now speaking with the kids. "I really have to go." The man turned to the bike and began trying to shake the front tire loss of the mud.

"Wait," Steven came to the stranger. "You have to explain to me where the children came from; were they really kidnaped?"

The man hardened his expression, then he looked to Steven.

"I can't tell you everything. Scoops was kidnaped by, a man from . . . Scoops was kidnaped but TJ and Violet helped him escape. I don't think that man will be bold enough to go after them again, but I still think it would be best if all of you got off the street and got back home."

Steven watched the man return to operating on his bike. Steven was suddenly angry again. Here was the man who had all of the answers and he wasn't saying a thing.

"You've got to tell me more." Steven gritted his teeth.

"There is no more to tell," he coldly stated.

"Yes there is!" Steven's outburst caught everyone's attention. "Why are you hiding this from us!"

"Because it's not my place to tell you!"

All three children took refuge behind Claire. They had never seen an argument get this out of hand; never by their parents or their teachers; WordGirl never even got this mad at villains before. The two men looked poised to attack. Claire looked from one man to the other before speaking up.

"What about Tobey? Why isn't he here."

"He was never with us," Todd answered quietly, silencing the two men. "Adler only took me so he could get to WordGirl."

"Then what about my sister?" TJ interjected; the driver sighed.

"I didn't see your sister either." Todd shook his head.

"But WordGirl can find them!" Violet pushed out from behind the huddled group and came up beside Steven. "WordGirl can find them and stop that evil man, right. She'll swoop in and . . ."

"No she won't." The driver breathed raising from the bike tire. "WordGirl isn't going to find Becky or Tobey."

"What?" Claire stomped up to the stranger knocking Steven to the side so she could get as close to the driver's face as her body would permit. "If you know where Tobey is you're telling me." Her breathing had become heavy with the anger and fear that had become rather comfortable in her company. Her eyes were blazing enough to brake even the strongest of souls, but amazingly this stranger looked undaunted by her stance.

"If you want to get your son back I suggest you take Scoops her back to the police station and have him rat Adler out, because there is nothing more I can do for you."

"That's Not Good Enough!"

"It's going to have to be Ms. MacCalli . . ." How could he have missed it? "Mrs. MacCallister."

o

Nona had come between the two children in hopes of quenching their argument. The two were overly worked up and looked like they were ready to attack the next thing that upset them. Nona knew their anger was rightly placed. At this moment, whether they realized it or not, their whole lives were about to change. And probably not in a way they'd like.

"You two need to take a breather, come on do it with me," Nona took a deep breath to which neither child joined in. "Come on, let's let all the negative energy leave our bodies as we seek a more peaceful solution to our . . ."

"I want to leave and start looking for Becky again," Tobey interrupted. "I'd rather take my chances with the crazy instead of wasting my time here." Tobey began walking back toward the door which he had entered in.

"I'm sorry Tobey," Nona spoke after him making no effort to follow the boy. "I'm afraid that's not an option at this time."

Tobey stopped at the hall entrance, looking back to see the assiduous look upon Nona's face. Without demanding an explanation, Tobey could already see that Nona was being serious and there was no changing her mind. The young man glared at the woman, uncertain of what should be his next move; fortunately he wouldn't have to respond first as WordGirl did.

"I don't know how you found my hideout, Nona, but Tobey's right, we need to get back out there and start searching again." WordGirl hovered just inches off the ground to prepare to go groaning as she did so. It was bad enough Tobey had found her hideout, but this was getting to be too much.

"That's. Not. An option anymore." None repeated never moving her stare from Tobey's. "Adler's too big of a threat to you both now."

"I'm not afraid of one man," WordGirl scoffed. "I'm a, hero. I can handle this." WordGirl sounded bitter, but resolved on her decision. "I can't fail anymore. It's my fault he's here anyway, so it doesn't really matter if he gets me."

The words caught Tobey off guard as he quickly angled himself to see WordGirl.

"I thought you were to 'tired' to do anymore good."

Malice. WordGirl tried to shoot Tobey a venomous glare, but only managed to show how much Tobey's comment had hurt.

"You two aren't getting it are you," Nona frowned as WordGirl flew from the computer room. Nona only let out a sigh as she looked back at Tobey. "Hmm, she'll be back once she realizes I've locked the doors."

"You did what!"

Just as predicted, WordGirl came back to the room.

"What did you do to my ship?" WordGirl came down to eye level with Nona as she spoke.

"Well I had to keep you in here," Nona diverted her eyes as she looked over to Tobey. Huggy was making his way back into the room by squeezing thru Tobey's legs. "I wouldn't be doing my job very well if I let you evade me."

"What do you mean?" Puzzlement covered WordGirl's face.

"Well, 'evade' means to escape or avoid . . ."

"I Know What Evade Means!" WordGirl gritted her teeth. "You said you're doing a job. What job? Are you spying on me or something. First you ask me stupid questions at the super market, then you obviously brought Tobey to my hideout, and now you're trapping us here. I'm beginning to think you're the one kidnaping kids, not this Adler person."

"Sweetheart, that's not true. . ."

Before Nona could piece together a proper rebuttal, WordGirl took off across the room. The plucky superhero snatched Tobey and Huggy up as she made a break for the ship's library. Once safely inside the room, WordGirl shut and locked the door.

"It'll take her forever to catch up with us in here." WordGirl walked over to the bookshelf and began browsing the books. Tobey sighed.

"This isn't the time to be looking for a book to read, WordGirl."

"I'm not," she answered as she kept searching. "Huggy has a secret escape tunnel that is activated by one of these books. We'll get out that way."

Tobey couldn't help but smile at WordGirl's genius. Made him wonder if maybe he should add an escape tunnel to his robot lab. It would make it harder for his mother to catch him. Tobey then looked down at the monkey sidekick who was sending frantic glances at the door.

"Well monkey," Tobey crossed his arms in discontent. "Why don't you help her locate the book."

Huggy quit his frenzied on looking and sighed. The monkey saw WordGirl's hand pass over the book in the center of the shelf, but she neglected to try it. Huggy let out another sigh.

"Try, the book on the last, row," Huggy frowned as WordGirl knelt down to reach for the volume. "That one should help us out."

"I don't remember it being this low," WordGirl pulled the book off the shelf, but nothing happened. "Are you sure this is it?" WordGirl read over the book's cover, 'Just In Case.' That was an odd title. WordGirl opened this larger volume.

Immediately the super hero fell back onto her bottom. She was overcome by a sudden bout of dizziness. Tobey became quickly alarmed as he watched the girl's sickness increase.

"WordGirl, what's wrong?" Tobey came over to the hero and tried to help her to her feet, only to find she was too heavy to hold and too sick to stand up. So instead, Tobey looked down at the book she had now dropped. The pages had been cut out in the center to allow a small storage place to be created. In that there sat a star shape rock that emitted a rather potent red glow. Tobey picked up the star and gave it a peculiar look. "What is this?"

Click. Tobey took his gaze off the rock to see that Huggy had gone to unlock the door. Nona stepped in wearing a thin smile and down turned eyebrows.

"If I didn't know better," Nona spoke. "I'd say that looked like a prime piece of Lexinite in your hand Tobey."

It was at these words that Tobey knew exactly what had happened.

"You tricked us," Tobey glared at the monkey whose downcast eyes refused to make contact with the boy. "How could you do that; you were WordGirl's sidekick!" Tobey quickly tried to reach out and grab hold of the book. He was hoping that he could place the rock back inside and it would contain whatever it was that was making WordGirl sick. But just as his hand touched the corner of the book, Nona was bearing on top of him.

"Now Tobey," The woman snatched the outstretched arm and pulled Tobey to his feet. "I'd hate for us all to be acting this way, but if this is the only way to get you two to listen, then I'm going to have to insist that the Lexinite be handed over to me. I promise I won't make WordGirl endure it for long."

This had to be the most enraged Tobey had felt all night. He should have guessed 'Roget' would have sided with Nona. But this wasn't the time to give up. No treacherous monkey and half-witted old witch were going to get the better of Theodore Tobey MacCallister III.

"Fat Chance!" Without thinking twice about it, Tobey struck Nona's arm with the star. She cried in pain as she released Tobey to grip the affected area. Tobey took off in a full run out of the library and down the ships hall. All he needed to do was get this poisonous rock away from WordGirl . . . hopefully, then she could take care of Nona and the day could be saved. Tobey turned a corner in the ship's narrow hallway only to run unto something, or rather someone.

"Ouch!" Tobey fell back onto the floor as the star shaped Lexinite slipped from his hand and across the hall.

"Oh I'm sorry young man,"

Tobey didn't stop to speak with this new stranger and he rolled over to make a crawl for the rock. He didn't need another nut job in his life, he needed to get the Lexinite before . . . Nona did.

"Thank you Mr. Dohickey," Nona said bending over to pluck victory right from under the tips of Tobey's fingers and placed it in her pocket. "I would have hated to have to grab Tobey by any other means." The woman glared harshly down at the boy, blood staining her sleeve.

"My goodness," James hopped over to Nona. "What happened to your arm?"

Nona didn't answer James, she instead grabbed one of Tobey's arms and pulled him up. Before the boy had a chance to launch another attack, Nona seized his other arm and pulled both back so that Tobey's arms were crossed over his chest and his wrist were clenched tightly by her around his back. Tobey squirmed a bit only to find it brought his shoulders great pain.

"Ow, let go of me!" Tobey couldn't struggle due to the pain.

"What are you doing to this boy?" James asked rigorously taking note of Tobey's discomfort.

"I'll explain everything, but first I need to place this boy where he can't do anymore damage." Nona pushed Tobey forward.

"Isn't that Tobey?" James followed close behind. "He's one of the city's villains, a genius if I'm not mistaken."

"A Villain?" Nona almost lost her hold on the boy, but quickly regained her composure. "Mr. MacCalister is this true?" Disbelief coated her every word.

"I'm not telling you anything." Tobey knew she couldn't see his face, but he stuck his tongue out anyway.

"Hmm, well a boy genius is going to need special attention," Nona coyly added. "Perhaps I should get Huggy to supervise you until lift off."

"Lift Off!" Before Tobey could get his answers, Nona opened a door in the hallway and trusted the boy in. Tobey tried to turn to leave, but the door closed behind him. There wasn't even a door handle to shake.

Tobey leaned against the door and slid to the floor. A sigh escaped his lips as the truth of being trapped sank in. Thanks to that stranger, Nona was going to send Huggy to watch him; that meant Tobey only had about two minutes to think of a way out of this room. The roboticist surveyed the room from his position. Bed, dresser, bookshelf with assorted unicorns (that might be useful), desk with star decorated lamp, ceiling light, toy chest (if he were lucky there might be animatronics in there), a few wall posters . . . this looked like a little girl's room.

Tobey smiled at the thought that he might be in WordGirl's bedroom. He could collect a whole host of items in here . . . not that the had a silly crush on her; he was mad at her at the moment and simultaneously in a lot of trouble in this moment if he didn't think of something before Huggy arrived.

Outside the room Nona was heading back to alert the monkey to Tobey's whereabouts and get WordGirl detained before her powers came back. James followed close behind her, still demanding an explanation.

"Look Mr. Doohickey," Nona heaved a sigh, "I can't just tell you everything."

"I fixed the ship like you asked," the man pleaded. "Can't I at least know why your taking Tobey . . . You didn't really explain WordGirl's departure either."

"I'm sorry, but those are things I can't confide in anyone right now. And maybe," Nona stopped just outside the library door. "Maybe it would be best if you didn't accompany us."

"Wait you can't," Before James could protest Nona spoke out to the ship's defense system.

"Have this man safely removed from the ship."

Robotic arms lowered from the ceiling and took hold of the scientist's arms.

"You were lying to me. You just used me to fix the ship! Why would you lie to me like that?" The ship removed him from her sight and range of hearing.

"Great Nona," the woman scolded herself. "Not only are you a kidnapper, you're a pathological liar too." Sigh. "I'm so proud."

Nona reentered the library causing WordGirl to once again shiver in pain. Nona didn't like seeing the young girl in such a state, but at this moment it was all she could do to keep the two children under control.

"Roget, the ship is fixed, but I need you to watch over Tobey until I can get us out of here." Nona knelt beside WordGirl and struggled to pick her up without further injuring her wounded hand. The Lexinite glowing noticeably in her pocket. "Tobey's in the first bedroom."

Huggy nodded, to his great displeasure. He hated working against WordGirl, even if it was for her own good. Becky belonged on Thesauria where she would be safe, not on Earth where people like Adler could find her.

"If only I would have done my job right the first time." Huggy never meant to crash on Earth; no one ever means to 'crash' anywhere. So much was going on at once it just . . . seemed to happen. Back then it looked like Earth would be a perfect place to hide out. Nona was presumably dead, as was the royal family and WordGirl's mom and dad. Huggy had just managed to survive with WordGirl based on the sadistic release granted by Adler. Huggy had lived on Lexicon all his life, how was he suppose to know where Thesauria was; Nona was suppose to give him directions. Crashing into a planet protected by High Law seemed more like a Godsend than an accident at the time; so he never tried to fix the ship. So much for being Lexicon's prized piolet.

Huggy shook the thoughts from his head as he came upon the door. There wasn't time for all that now. He was now taking Becky to the neutral planet she was supposed to be on, problem solved. Huggy opened the door and stepped into the room.

It Was Empty! But how? Only he, WordGirl, and obviously Nona knew the passwords for the doors. There were no vents, no holes in the wall!

"Why'd we leave a boy genius for this long?" Huggy scolded under his breath. He needed to quickly go back and warn Nona. Huggy took off running back down the hall.

A cough came from under the bed as Tobey rolled out from underneath it. He was covered in dust and even had to clear his glasses before he could see again.

"Stupid monkey," coughed Tobey as he made his way out of the bedroom. "Never to young to learn old tricks."

Tobey wasn't certain how to get off the ship undetected, and he was even more unsure on how to save WordGirl. Clearly Nona had the upper hand, not to mention the ship's technology on her side. Maybe if he could sabotage the main computer he could prevent Nona from taking them . . . wherever it was she wanted to take them . . . Or at least that was the theory. Tobey couldn't help but wonder why Nona was doing all of this. She had promised to take him to WordGirl, which she did, and now she was hurting his city's superhero and locking him up. The only reason she would be trying to keep them on the ship was if she was planning to take them somewhere.

It was then Tobey thought back on Adler. Nona was trying to keep them away from him; she was only trying to keep them safe. But why? It was easy to guess why someone would want to capture WordGirl, but why him?

. . . before that man tried to hurt him with that weapon, he had said something. . . 'your highness.' Adler had called Tobey, "Your highness." Was he royalty? No, that couldn't be it . . .

"Regardless, I need to find the computer room and stop this lift off."

Too Late! The ground began to shake under Tobey's feet making it hard to remain standing. The boy held onto the wall to remain upright as he tried to make his way to the main computer. Upon his arrival he found that Nona and Huggy had beaten him there. How could that monkey have beaten him?

"We got to take off," Nona typed away at the computer as Huggy strapped himself into one of the chairs. "Then it won't matter if Tobey's free or not. I can only hope Doohickey knew what he was doing."

The platform that the two aliens were standing on began to rise. The whole computer system was lifting up to the front cab and 'windshield' of the ship. Once they reached the cab there would be no way for Tobey to stop them. . . But what could he do? The platform was already too high for him to jump onto, and he didn't know the ship well enough to find another way up to the cab. Maybe, maybe there was an escape pod or something on the ship. If he could find WordGirl then . . .

The ship jolted lose from the ground, faster than a shooting star, it was off.


	25. My Friend

Disclaimer: I am not the creator of WordGirl and co. This is a fanfiction.

A/N For it being summer time, I've been keeping myself rather busy; sorry for such slow updates. Please enjoy this chapter and feel free to R&R.

* * *

"WordGirl!" Tobey called into every room he passed in the hall. He was running; running out of time, running out of patience, running out of breath. Where was she? Tobey felt the ship give another jolt as it changed its direction once again. If he didn't find WordGirl soon, their hopes of escape would be dashed. "WordGirl speak up!"

The ship shuttered drastically, causing Tobey to fall. The eleven year old promised himself that he'd give Nona a good kick in the pants the next time he saw her. Tobey managed to get back on his feet to continue his search. But he didn't get too far before the ship suffered a startling change. The lights in the hall began to dim as the outer walls of the ship took on a more transparent appearance. It was the ship's windows; Tobey was now able to see outside.

Tobey stepped in closer to the window to look out. The ship, though now moving at a decreased speed, was leaving Earth far behind. Tobey gasped at the sight of the Earth; greater than any picture he had seen of it and an inspirer of awe. Tobey took just a quick moment to take in what he was looking at.

"Where the heck are you taking us Nona?" Tobey couldn't believe it. Was he being taken to Lexicon? Tobey pressed his face against the glass, vainly lessening his distances from home by a mere few inches. At this rate he wouldn't even be able to steer an escape pod home; he would only get lost. "WordGirl! Why won't you answer me?"

Tobey had walked all around the ship leading him back to the main room the computer use to be in. Now all that remained there were useless toys and games; just kid stuff to waste time.

"Some secret hideout," Tobey sneered. "Got more toys than a daycare in here but nothing useful to save lives." Tobey found it difficult to maneuver in the limited lighting. He tripped over a few assorted items and bumped into WordGirl's unicorn stature; this was getting ridiculous.

"Tobey?" A voice came echoing from the entrance into the room. At first Tobey thought it might be WordGirl, but that imagining quickly faded as Nona spoke again. "I know you're in here."

Tobey got down behind a tube slide erected to the side of the room. Hopefully she wouldn't be able to spot him in the darkness. Not that it mattered; it was almost too late to escape now anyway.

"Tobey, I know you're upset,"

Upset wasn't even the half of it. If his vocabulary were more extensive . . . no, not even WordGirl's word knowledge could fit into words exactly how he felt.

"But I really need you to stop this foolishness."

Tobey could faintly see the woman circulating around the room in search of him. He remained as quit and still as he was able; listening but not responding.

"I promise you WordGirl is alright, and . . . it's not easy to explain, but this is for your own good. Adler would have hurt you any other way. Huggy and I are going to take you and WordGirl to Thesauria. There Alder won't be able to find you and you will get all your questions answered . . .maybe . . . I'm not going to lock you up again if that's what you're afraid of. Please you have to trust me . . ." Nona frowned. Wherever Tobey was, he was determined not to be found. It was then Nona remembered something. "Are you still worried about Becky?"

Tobey's heart skipped a beat as he heard mention of his friend's name. He had almost forgotten about Becky in the chaos. What if Adler had found Becky . . ? Tobey lowered his gaze as this fact sank in. Becky could be in worse trouble than he could have first imagined. Adler was a real threat; so much so that people from WordGirl's home planet felt she wasn't strong enough to face him.

Tobey's new focus allowed him to see Todd's hat discarded just a little ways away from him. It was then Tobey realized that Adler might be hurting everyone one in the city now that WordGirl was gone. Todd had gone missing hours ago; he was probably dead and so was Becky!

His heavy breathing gave Tobey's position away, but he was too distracted to notice. Nona came beside the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry it has to be this way."

Tobey yanked away from Nona's touch, but felt it would be a wasted effort to run away at this point.

"Why didn't you go arrest Adler if he was this dangerous?" The boy's cold expression couldn't be clearly seen, but Nona could feel his icy stare nonetheless.

Sigh. "It's not that easy."

"So you take the city's superhero away; oh because that will make it better."

"WordGirl's the one he's after, Tobey. In theory, he won't mess with anyone except her."

"But he kidnapped my friends who had nothing to do with WordGirl, and he tried to kill me!"

Nona sighed again. Tobey could tell she wasn't really prepared to answer his questions, but she didn't sound like she was trying to conjure up a lie.

"I'm not completely sure why he went after your friends, but, gah . . . you just have to come with me. And we can make this so much more easier if you quit fighting me."

Tobey jumped to his feet and pointed an accusing finger at the woman.

"You're the one who's messing this all up! If Adler's the problem, then he's the one you're after. Not WordGirl and especially not me!"

"Tobey . . ?"

"If you're really here to help us, you'd be teaming up with WordGirl to stop that man before he goes after anyone else."

"I can't do that . . ."

"Then you're working for him! You're part of the problem!"

"I'm not helping Adler in anyway," Nona rose. "I'm here to bring WordGirl to safety; that's all I'm accountable for. High Law won't let me-"

"If you're not doing anything to stop the real problem, then you're just as bad as he is." Tobey didn't even notice the stream of tears flooding from his eyes. He didn't notice how raspy his voice had become. "Becky's probably dead. And it's your fault. You knew Adler was here the entire time and you did nothing to stop him."

Nona tried to search the boy's face in the darkness, but soon her own tears were making it hard for her to look at him.

"You're right," she whispered softly. "I got so focused on my job, I forgot my purpose." Nona sat back down on the ground beside the slide. She rested her back against it. "I didn't really help keep peace or ambiguity between WordGirl's Earthlings and ourselves."

His anger subsiding, Tobey dried his tears with his sleeve. He hadn't expected this reaction from Nona, nor was he sure what to do from this point.

"Well, let's turn back. We can stop him and maybe find Bec . . ."

"I can't do that Tobey," Nona shook her head. "High Law only allows my kind the permission to visit Earth under strict oath not to interfere with Earthling affaires. That includes, but is not limited to, their problems, celebrations, wars, civil disputes, religious expressions or fondue recipes."

"But this guy's an alien like you; if you want to keep the peace go arrest him, not me!"

"No Tobey, I'm a CRA, a child relocation agent, all I'm supposed to do is get WordGirl to her new guardian as quickly as possible. Adler's a royal advisor to the king of Britannica, whatever his business for being here is; I can't touch him."

"But you're taking me?" Tobey's frustration only grew as Nona began mentioning places and things he'd never heard of before. "I'm not WordGirl; or at least I hope you can see that!"

"I know you're not WordGirl, you're . . . the surprise at the bottom of the cereal box. Clearly Adler wants you dead while your existence is still an enigma. But I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with you so I'm just taking you. It's like you're the biggest hole in history." Nona stopped her ranting as she thought about her last words. "Hole in history." She whispered to herself, ignoring Tobey's next words.

"Well why don't you let WordGirl finish off Adler first and then ask her if she wants to go with you. You can't consider yourself a good guy unless you ask her if she _wants_ to go."

Nona got to her feet and, as best as one could in the dark, ran from the room. Tobey blearily had time to realize what happened as he tried to follow the woman. The halls had perceptible more light than did the computer room and Tobey was able to see clearly enough to break out into a full run.

"Wait, for me!" Tobey panted.

Nona than stopped her run completely, smacking her forehead as she realized it was only natural for Tobey to follow her.

"Sorry Tobey," Nona resumed a hurried walk. "I'll take you to see WordGirl and then I need to talk to, um . . . my superior about something."

"Are you going to let WordGirl capture Adler?"

"Uh, no. But I will ask what can be done to stop him. Trust me, Adler's in too deep to escape justice now. After what he did to you, I'll personally see to it that the king of Britannica finds out that his royal advisor is a two timing little . . ."

"I thought you said you couldn't 'interfere' with him?"

"That only applies on Earth. As a citizen of a neutral planet, I can seek an audience with any royal figure head." Nona halted in front of a door. She positioned herself so that only she would be able to see the control panel; she entered the code. "Now you need to understand that WordGirl is still in the presence of lexinite and will not be fully cognizant until I remove the stuff."

"Cogni- what now?" Tobey glared up at the adult. There was still so much he wanted to know and so much that wasn't making any sense. Britannica, Lexicon, Theasuria, High Law, neutral planets . . . sigh, it was all too confusing.

"Cognizant means being aware or fully mindful. WordGirl still feels a little sick and therefore isn't totally conscious of what's going on."

Is that so you can continue kidnapping us without a fight, Tobey couldn't help the thought running thru his mind. Yet, if Nona hadn't killed them by now . . . She really thought she was doing the right thing for them. And what about WordGirl's 'guardian?'

Sigh. What could he do? He wasn't strong enough to fight Nona, and even with his brilliance he wouldn't be able to build anything that could safely get them back to Earth, assuming they could even escape. His best bet was to explain to WordGirl, to the best of his ability, what was going on and hope she could help think of a way out of this. That and get rid of that 'lexinite' stuff.

Nona gestured for Tobey to enter the room.

"I promise to take away the lexinite once we're far enough along."

Tobey went in without struggling. WordGirl was sitting up in the bed, but was rocking gently side to side. The lexinite had been broken into a smaller piece and was strapped to her wrist like a bracelet; a bracelet with not clasp or elasticity. Tobey had to resist the urge to run over to WordGirl and fuss about her condition; only a love sick puppy would do that. Instead Tobey turned to watch Nona shut the door and probably lock it. As nice as she wanted to be, she was still the enemy as far as Tobey was concerned. With his assumption made, Tobey didn't even bother to check the door.

"Uh WordGirl?" Tobey watched WordGirl's feeble gaze fall on him. The room had a window, so she was aware that they were leaving Earth. What was he suppose to say?

On the other side of the door, Nona couldn't hold back the snarl that worked its way on her lips. She picked back up on her run as she made her way thru the ship and back to the bridge. She threw open the door, startling Huggy who had taken over the flying of the ship, and marched up to the control panel.

"I have a call I need to make," She growled. "So leave."

Huggy knew better than to fight Nona on this. He flipped on the autopilot and left the cab. Nona then brought up the communication device on one of the idle computers. She dialed a number and waited. After only a few moments the screen flickered to life as a voice began to speak.

"Oh Hiya there Nona, callin' to admit you couldn't get the princess?"

"I'm not in the mood for your stupid wisecracks, Miena."

Miena crossed her arms over her chest with a seemingly permanent smirk on her face. The young Storian took great pleasure in the annoyance of Nona in this moment, and she played it for all its worth.

"Oh I'm sorry, I forgot. You take great pride in your failures don't you." Miena laughed as she watched Nona's hands ball into fists.

"I'm not making this call about the princess." Nona spat.

At this Miena quit her laughing, but didn't drop her smirk.

"Man Nona, you need to learn how to take a joke. Trust me; I'm fully aware of your, 'child hunting' abilities." Miena let out a small chuckle but was quickly silenced by Nona's outburst.

"Why didn't You tell me Theodore had a son!"

For a moment both women remained still. Miena's face did not change expression, but her silence explained her disposition well. Nona was about to yell at Miena when the Storian finally spoke.

"Don't you study some history on Theasuria?" Her answer was short, but Nona wasn't exactly sure how to read it.

"That can't be right," Nona just had to know the truth; for if Tobey was who she and Adler thought he was . . . "I've found Theodore's son; Adler's trying to kill him. I know you Storians know everything about history, so you have to know about this."

"It's like I've said," Miena shrugged. "You should pay better attention to history. Prince Theodore is dead.." Miena smiled.

"Don't lie to me Miena. You know as well as I do that if Theodore really did have a son; this changes everything about the war, about our planets!"

"Oh Nona sweety, it would change nothing. How you people perceive history is of little importance to us. A Storian's job is to document history, not interfere with it. If you're so convinced that's Theodore's son, why don't you go run a blood test or something. Don't bother me about it."

"So you're saying it's true!" Nona leaned close to the screen in hopes of detecting some hint of truth in Miena's actions. Miena on the other hand was stunned by Nona's inference.

"No, I didn't say that . . ."

"But you're not denying it either. Theodore did have a son before he died didn't he? Miena, you have to tell me."

Miena curled her lip at the woman's begging. It was clear the two women were not the closest of friends, and, even while working, it was a challenge for them to put their differences aside.

"I'm not supposed to reveal anything about history to outsiders of my planet unless they have discovered it for themselves."

"I'm bringing the boy back to Theasuria with me; if I end up wrong in my assumptions . . ."

"The boy will be put to death and that's none of my business. Now do you have the princess or not?"

By this time Tobey had done his best to explain to WordGirl what was going on. She seemed to understand what was going on; she sent a worried glance outside the window back at Earth. Tobey couldn't help but note how hollow her eyes looked. Was the lexinite really making her that sick. . ? No that couldn't be it.

"WordGirl?" The name was almost spoken too softly to hear, but WordGirl looked back at Tobey. "Do you um, know how to get this off?" Tobey pointed to the sickening rock on WordGirl's arm.

"I'm just as flabbing-flabberfluber, gah, confused as you are." WordGirl groaned. "It's useless."

"Oh, we can't let a little set back like being taken away from our planet, being surrounded by deadly rocks and having people out for our lives with weapons and knowledge superseding our own stop us." Tobey tried to grin. "You're WordGirl, you can handle this. And with my help . . ."

"That's just it," WordGirl interrupted. "I don't know what I'm doing. I don't even know why I'm a superhero."

"Great," Tobey sighed. "You never listen to a word I've said in the past, but when I make one negative remark you cling to it like Holy Scripture." Tobey didn't even try to mask his sarcastic disapproval. "Last thing we need is an 'emo' superhero; so snap out of it and help me think of a way out of here."

"Tobey will you just shut up." WordGirl answered.

"Why, so you can lay there like a big cry baby while we're being abducted by aliens! I don't think I agree with that!"

"No! I'm tired." WordGirl breathed.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Should I let you get your beauty sleep first. I was just thinking that since the more time we waste, the further Earth will be."

"I just need, to rest . . ."

"And while you rest your eyes I'll just sit here and contemplate the horrific deaths of my dear friends Scoops and Becky." Tobey knew he was laying it on thick, yet he could care less. All he wanted to do was save his friend; was he asking too much? He was doing the right thing! Why was doing the right thing blowing up in his face? He didn't know Adler, Becky wasn't an alien . . . nothing was making sense. "Maybe while we're just sittin' around up here, I'll ask Nona who our new alien guardians are going to be. I want mine to have eight heads!"

"Shut-Up!" Becky sprang to her feet faster than Tobey would have imagined the sickened superhero to do. She advanced on him, startling him to fall back on the ground; she looming over him. "You know what? Scoops probably is dead; Adler is terrorizing everyone in the city. My parents must think I hate them by now; they think I ran away because I can't stand living with them!"

Tobey inched back as WordGirl continued her rant. It was as if, by yelling at him, she was reprimanding a part of herself.

"I let my friends and family down, and you know why? Because WordGirl was just 'so' important. They needed 'me.' My parents didn't need the city to be watched over all summer long, they need their daughter's love and approval while on vacation. Scoops didn't need another headline story, he needed his friend to walk him home. Heck, even you need me. But all you guys are left with is a hero who couldn't even notice how much trouble you were in."

WordGirl's furry calmed down as the fire in her eyes dimmed into hollowness. A quick 'ha' escaped the fallen hero's lips.

"I can't even fight a rock," WordGirl lowered her head and got back into the bed. "I'm, just too tired." She put her back to him. "Maybe my real parents will want me this time."

Tobey sat for a moment. . . he didn't understand what he just heard. All he knew now, was Earth was too far to reach from here; his hero was gone . . . Becky was gone. Without WordGirl's help there was no way for him to get off that ship.

"Well, . . .what about me?"

WordGirl didn't respond.

Closing her eyes as tightly, Becky was hoping to just ignore Tobey's presence. She felt bad he was wrapped up in all this . . . but what could she do? With the lexinite still near her she couldn't use her superpowers, and even before she lost them Nona had outsmarted her. . . or rather, her best friend betrayed her. Becky tried to squeeze her eyes tighter at the thought of Huggy.

How could he . . ?

Becky just didn't want to be a part of Earth anymore. It wasn't where she belonged. Lying all the time and treating family and friends like they didn't matter as much to her as fighting crime . . .

"That's not true," her family meant the world to her. She didn't want them to think she was killed . . . she certainly didn't intend for Scoops to end up that way. . . if Adler was still looking for WordGirl, she'd give him WordGirl and spare her family the heartache.

Suddenly there came a whoosh sound from the door. Tobey had gone to check if it was locked, and it wasn't; Nona hadn't double crossed him after all. Becky listened to the boy leave into the hall. Becky sat up and looked over in the door's direction. She still felt sick, but she owed 'all' her friends the best she could give them.

Staggering across the room, Becky reached the door. She pressed the button to open it, but only by an inch. She wanted to peek out and see what he was up to first . . . to be honest she was worried about how Tobey had taken her outburst. Becky watched the eleven year old genius, pressed against the hallway window . . .

"Our Father God, great is . . . the name I call you, maker of Earth and, heaven and . . . oh forget the formalities. I don't know what other option I have but to believe that you're up there and that you care," his accent dropped. "I'm not stupid enough to believe in miracles, or maybe, I'm just not bold enough. I don't know where Becky is, but you do. Huh, I'm not going to ask for an instant fix, because I know it won't happen. But if you're half as good as that book says you are . . . let Becky know, that at least one person cares. She isn't the greatest person to ever live or anything like that, but she was as close to, a friend as I'm ever going to get and, I don't want her to die. Oh God please." Tobey buried his face into his arms now resting against the glass. "She was my only friend and I wanted her to know."

Becky stepped back into the bedroom not certain what to think; tears safely hidden behind the room's front wall.


	26. Mere Dost

Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, so don't take it as a reflection of the show WordGirl.

A/N Hope everyone had a 4th of July, whether in America or not. Thank you everyone who reviewed, sorry I didn't reply to all of you. Enjoy and R&R.

* * *

There was no way to break the bracelet off. Tobey tried cutting it with scissors, slipping it off with butter and using a laser made from assorted items; nothing could remove the afflicting jewelry.

"I don't think there's anything else I can do." Tobey sighed. He and WordGirl were sitting cross-legged on the bedroom floor examining the lexinite bracelet. Tobey had begun trying to twist the bracelet off the girl's arm when the door to the room opened up.

"Well good morning," Nona smiled as the lights of the ship began to brighten. "It is officially seven A.M. in your hometown and we are exactly fifteen minutes away from Theasuria."

WordGirl shot a look out the window. Earth was long gone by now, she and Tobey must not have noticed. How had they traveled so fast? The ship didn't feel like it was moving all that quickly. But that wasn't the real concern WordGirl had at the moment. They were about to land on another planet. Once there, how would they ever get home?

Looking back down at the bracelet, Becky couldn't help but wonder how her family was doing. They must have been so worried by now. Was her mom leaving the courtroom right now? Becky could see her mother receiving the horrible news right in the middle of the court session. Sally would start crying and would have to leave the case, and maybe even lose her job!

Becky's father was probably worried sick. She could see her dad searching the streets with tears streaming down his face. He'd most likely blamed himself for her kidnapping.

And TJ . . . well he might be enjoying the time away from her, but he would sooner or later miss her. He was still her brother after all.

As WordGirl looked back up at the woman before her, she was surprised to see Nona bend over and remove the bracelet with a simple touch on its underside.

"I want you to understand that once we leave this ship you are no longer on Earth; food, travel, religion, schooling, you name it, it's different. You are not considered children here on Theasuria and will be expected to uphold all laws, traditions and customs of this planet. You are no longer Americans; you have no constitutional rights and will now live by High Law. And lastly, there's plenty of Lexiconian rocks to draw from. If authorities see a need to apprehend you, they can. I suggest you two stay on your best behavior and mind every lesson your guardian teaches you."

Nona took a small box from her pocket and placed the nauseating jewelry inside. WordGirl felt instantly better; should she try to escape again? WordGirl sent a glance over to Tobey. He didn't seem to notice . . . WordGirl addressed Nona.

"How long do you plan on keeping us here?"

"To be honest," Nona paused tentatively. "I'm bringing you to your new guardian until you learn everything he feels you need to know about Lexicon. After that you'll be sent to Suidas."

"To who?"

"Not who, what. Suidas is the palace built in the city of Chang'an on Lexicon." Nona turned and began walking, waving for the two children to follow her out of the room. "But enough of that now, Zeph- I mean 'Kevin,' is expected to explain all that to you."

Tobey looked sharply at WordGirl. The look in the boy's eye expressed his skepticism perfectly; he was mad. Nothing Nona had said pleased the boy and he was just one comment away from snapping at the woman. But there wasn't much WordGirl could do at this point. She felt bad that Tobey was being brought along and she was a bit worried for both of their futures. WordGirl didn't understand how this was going to help stop Adler.

If he was crazy enough to seek her out on Earth, Adler was going to be just as crazy and probably come to Theasuria too. Nothing about this plan made any sense to her. And what was Nona talking about? Suidas? Why did Lexicon need her back now, or was this their backwards way of protecting her from Adler? Well, if they wanted to keep her safe they shouldn't have lost her in the first place.

WordGirl looked back to Tobey. He had begun following Nona. WordGirl did the same. Fighting would just be a waste of time. She wouldn't be able to figure out how to fly the ship without Huggy's help, and there was no way she could carry Tobey thru space.

Heading for the exit of the ship reminded WordGirl of all the alien-space movies she had watched with her brother. The astronauts would walk down the long exit tunnels of their ships, passing computers and bright lights as they did so. And once they finished their long walk they would be greeted by the sight of a strange new world. WordGirl found herself feeling a bit nervous. Tobey seemed nervous as well. He kept fidgeting with his glasses and peeking over at her to try and see her response to the situation. WordGirl would have to try and look calm.

Once the small group reached the door they waited. None of them spoke or maintained eye contact for too long. Each person was lost to their thoughts; lost in themselves.

The ship jolted.

"Okay," Nona broke the silence as the group reached out to balance themselves against the wall. "Roget's landing the ship. I need you two to stay close to me when he opens the door."

"What makes you think I'm staying with you?" Tobey spat.

"Because," Nona smiled. "We're landing in the market place, and I'm certain you don't want to get lost there."

The ship shifted several more times, jostling Tobey and Nona about a bit. WordGirl chose to hover a few inches off the ground to avoid the painful ordeal. Finally the ship stopped. Nona reached up and pulled WordGirl back to the ground.

"You can't fly here WordGirl," She warned reaching to take one of Tobey's hands. He pulled back and crossed his arms. "I'm not going to have you hold my hand the whole way, Tobey. But I am serious about staying close. Not that anyone will recognize you two, but you never know."

"Why does it matter if they recognize us?" As Tobey spoke the door began to dissipate.

As the light from the outside streamed in the small group was blinded. WordGirl turned her head for a moment to let her eyes adjust, her ears filling with the new sounds. But nothing could prepare her for what she saw when she turned back around.

For as far as the eye could see lay a concert jungle swarming with life. Though none of the buildings were over twelve stories high, they were magnificent in architectural design with a hint of South Asian craftsmanship. There wasn't a single car on the rather narrow streets, but from wall to wall people were moving about and visiting the hundreds of shops and stands randomly scattered about. There were so many bright colors, unfamiliar smells, music filled with asian musical notes, everything was stimulating.

Birds of all kinds flew over the crowded streets. Some of the spices WordGirl had never seen before, but for the most part they were recognizable. There were plenty of other animals that could be seen in the streets. New breeds of dogs followed closely behind their owners helping to carry some of their wares. Cats, monkeys, mice, horses; all in the streets, all perfectly trained.

Advertisements appeared as holograms above stands and shop windows, and people seemed to possess very sophisticated communication devises . . . and yet, there didn't appear to be any cars, planes or large machines anywhere. And, though paved, the road was made of pretty stones, not futuristic metals. It was as if WordGirl was looking at a world that had advanced in way completely different than Earth . . . wait, it had. Some technology was more advanced than Earth, and some wasn't. Where Earth saw a need to invent a horseless carriage, Theasuia saw a need for hovering carts for horses to pull. No wheels anywhere.

Even the clothing looked different. All the women wore vibrantly colored short dresses with decorative leggings. Jewelry lavished on the rich and dull colors on the seemingly poor. Men wore lose fitting shirts of bright colors and even brighter pants. Shoes seemed to be an optional thing as both rich and poor didn't go out of their way to wear them. Odd.

But the thing that shocked both WordGirl and Tobey most: no one looked a day over twenty. They were mostly children. Kids shopping for food, picking out colorful fabrics, running the city.

"Well come on you two," Nona sang out as she jumped out of the ship and onto the platform they had landed on. "We'll have to make an appearance before the grand council and then get you two where you belong before curfew. And believe me, in a city of this size, a trip downtown can be an all day thing."

Tobey and WordGirl glanced apprehensively at one another.

"What other choice do we have?" WordGirl shrugged, making sure to keep her voice low.

"To not go quietly to our deaths."

"I don't think she's trying to kill us."

"I don't know about you, but I want to go home."

Nona came back to the two so she could hear their whispers. At her approach Tobey stepped out of the ship and into the foreign city. WordGirl sighed and followed suit. The moment she exited the ship the door behind her sealed up. WordGirl turned back to see her ship taking off, and with it her and Tobey's hopes of sneaking back to Earth.

"Don't look so forlorn," Nona went to lead the way. "I think you'll both find you fit in here much better than you did on Earth."

"No," Tobey argued. "I think we'll find that you have no intention of taking us back home."

Nona dropped her smile and silently went about leading the way thru the city.

Tobey and WordGirl stuck close behind their guide. Every child they passed gave them strange condescending looks. Even younger children turned their noses up at the eleven year olds. WordGirl suddenly began to feel particularly out of place. Her superhero costume made her appear to be the looniest person on Theasuria. What was Nona talking about; they'd 'fit in.'

Suddenly something caught WordGirl's eye. Behind one of the food stands, if that was what it was as she had never seen any fruit like that before, their came a frightening sound. WordGirl stopped her walk and listened closely. Tobey took note of WordGirl's position, and he too quit following Nona.

"What is it?" Tobey asked.

"It sounds like," WordGirl began heading for the stand. "Like a fight."

WordGirl and Tobey tried to slip between the irregular fruit stand and its neighboring vendor only to have their path blocked by a plucky looking seven year old.

"What's you think yous doin'?" She asked throwing her hands high into the air. "Naa naa naa naa! Yous can't just come back into my stand. I Have Right Bachao!" Her shrill voice echoed off the close buildings and even caught Nona's attention. "Bachao!" She yelled stomping her feet unflatteringly.

Again Tobey and WordGirl exchanged glances. They weren't certain how to respond to this. The little girl didn't like their reaction. She began punching at the two older children, screaming unintelligible words and making a scene.

"Stop it you dreadful little beast!" Tobey called reaching out to take hold of the little girl. WordGirl on the other hand just slipped around the girl and continued on her way back to the alley behind the stand.

For it appearing to be the middle of the day, the alley was very dark and cold. The sounds of the city echoed horrible in the confided space, making it almost impossible to hear anything happening in the lane. The perfect place for a mugging, and WordGirl was right. Pinned to the wall was a young boy, maybe five or six. Two teenage boys were liberating the youngster of the coins he had in his pockets along with other food items WordGirl wasn't able to recognize. No matter, stealing was stealing.

"Hold it right there!" WordGirl called as loudly as she could. The two teens turned to look at her. "I suggest you give that boy back his money or I'll have to give you two a timeout." WordGirl realized how lame that was only after she had said it.

The two teens looked to each other before one of them stepped forward, the other firmly holding the small one in place. He seemed to be the older of the two, maybe fifteen years old.

"I don't understand what you mean, mere dost." He smiled extending his hand for a shake. WordGirl didn't return the kind gesture.

"Don't play stupid with me," WordGirl passed the first boy to grab the arm of the second young man. "You're robbing this poor boy and I won't settle for that." Asserting only enough strength to cause the teen to release the young boy, WordGirl twisted the teens arm. The teenager yelped in pain and dropped the kid. Without missing a beat the child took off out of the ally.

"Paagal Ladki, look what you've done!" The eldest yelled firmly grabbing WordGirl and forcing her to look at him. "That little chor been stealing my khana again, you let him get away!" He pushed WordGirl aside as he addressed the other teen. "She is not welcome at our shop bhai, challo." The two began leaving the ally just as Nona and Tobey came into it.

"WordGirl!" Nona called racing up to the girl. "I told you to stay close to me!"

"But . . ." WordGirl was slightly stunned by the situation. Did she just help a thief escape? But those teens weren't the police, they were robbing him! She saw it! "Those boys, they were . . ."

"Probably getting their goods back," Nona rolled her eyes at WordGirl. "Until you know how this town works I highly recommend you lay off the acts of heroism. Little kids can be thieves too. Now we must get moving." Nona set off again.

"Tobey," WordGirl said as the two eleven year olds trailed a few feet behind Nona as they navigated the crowed and unforgiving streets. "We've got to think of a way out of here."

"Really?"

"Be serious. We might get separated once we reach our 'guardians.'"

"Yeah, I kinda figured. But Nona and her friends seem to have the upper hand here. I can't even understand half the words these people are saying let alone be able to ask for directions back to the loading dock."

WordGirl continued to look around. There were no street names or giant landmarks, it was a wonder Nona had any idea where she was going.

"If we run off now we'll just get lost." WordGirl tried to read some of the shop's floating signs, but the half English and foreign language mixes made it almost impossible to do.

"It's got to be better than going to this council." Tobey followed WordGirl's example and tried to make out some of the writings.

"Not if they send out search parties. There's no way for us to survive here without their help, and they know that. That's why Nona isn't chaining us up or anything like that. There's no way we'll get far."

Tobey watched as more kids sneered at their passing. Everyone seemed to hate them. Their clothes, hair styles, their language . . . and the old hag they were walking around with made them the object of pointing, stares, whispers and jeers. Nona didn't seem fazed by the cruel jesting at all. But then again, she was native to this planet and the children were probably use to seeing her every day. Though the Earth clothes she was wearing must have alarmed them.

The torturous walk lasted about an hour when Nona finally spoke up to her young travelers.

"See the building up ahead?" She pointed to what had to be city hall. "That's the home of our planet's queen and her grand council."

This governmental building was huge. At three stories tall, it was long enough to cover eight city blocks. Its design was unlike its surrounding buildings. It was Victorian in construction and possessed, unlike other homes and buildings, a garden out front. It was the first green life Tobey and WordGirl could recall seeing since they stepped into the city. Looking now, there were no plants throughout the city.

Nona confidently stepped up to the main gate surrounding the building. She sent a worried glance in Tobey's direction but quickly replaced it with a smile. WordGirl didn't like the anxious look in Nona's eyes. It was then WordGirl thought about this woman on a workman's level. Nona was just doing her job, delivering WordGirl to the council or whoever. Tobey's being there was just a precautionary measure due to Adler's attempt on the boy's life. Nona had no idea what was going to become of them. She probably would never see them again after this.

Nona pressed a button to a security box near the gate and a hologram of the security officer appeared.

"Suprabhat Nona!" The man cried happily on the screen. "The whole of the council waits on your being here. Happy to seeing you bringing princess with you." There was a loud buzz as the gate slide open.

"Suprabhat mere dost. Shukriya." Nona lead the way into the Victorian garden. It was beautiful and classic looking. Nona took notice of the children's interest. "It's modeled after the gardens on Britannica. Being that Theasuria is a nurtural planet, we are able to embrace many architectural interpretations. In fact, WordGirl you will be staying in a Lexiconian mansion just north of here."

"And I'll be staying . . ?" Tobey came alongside Nona.

"Well," Nona breathed. "If you really are the son of the late Theodore, you'll be staying here for a little while until we can either send you back home or to Britannica; whatever the queen agrees on."

"Late?"

Before Tobey could get an answer, or ask more questions, a whole host of elegantly dressed people flooded the garden. They were not like the children outside the gate at all. All of them were adults and dressed more dully. Suits for the men and single patterned long dresses for the women. Nona smiled at their approach.

"Okay you two, best smiles and behavior. These are the council's servants, and they've been sent to gussy you up and prepare you for examination. Wasn't that nice of the council?"

"No," Tobey fussed. "I don't want to be 'gussied,' I want to go home. I demand to speak to whoever's in charge now!" Tobey dodged any servant who got near him as he marched his way toward the house.

"I think I'm going to agree with Tobey on this one." WordGirl smiled leaving Nona and the servants behind. She quickly caught up to the boy. "You think telling 'em offs going work?"

"When you come up with a better idea, let me know."

"Stop you two! I have to speak with the council first!" Nona called after the children.

"I suggest we get a head start." WordGirl took hold of Tobey and speed off down the hall. Flying around the council hall didn't allow for sightseeing. WordGirl was doing her best to locate the council members so that she and Tobey could have their say without Nona's influence. Tobey just did his best to keep his glasses on his face and hoped WordGirl wouldn't smack him into anything.

When WordGirl finally slowed down a bit, she noticed a set of large doors being guarded by two soldiers. If the council wasn't back there, then they were nowhere. WordGirl made haste for the doors and blew past the guards with ease. She landed in the room and placed Tobey beside her. Tobey was disoriented from his flight and wobbled a bit trying to settle himself. It was then that WordGirl noticed the council members.

The room was full of important looking people, all seemingly representing a different country, or planet as the case would be in space. They sat on elevated platforms looking down on WordGirl and Tobey. Seated at the presumed head of the council was a elderly woman dressed in the finest attire WordGirl had seen all day. Whispers immediately broke out as the council members pointed at the two children. Some made faces of disgust while others stared on with interest.

WordGirl suddenly felt sick from all the negative attention. Tobey finally gained full consciousness as the whispers in the room became louder. Each member speaking in a different language, no longer worried about whether or not the children could hear them. They made broad, open gestures at the two seemingly mocking their appearance and lack of social grace. WordGirl leaned in close to Tobey.

"What was that great plan of yours again, because I really don't think they want to hear what we have to say."

Tobey didn't respond to WordGirl, he was staring off in the direction of the eldest council member. WordGirl followed Tobey's gaze up to the woman to see that she had risen to her feet to watch the boy as well. And even with the commotion of all the people, WordGirl could hear Tobey clearly enough.

"Grandma?"


	27. I Know

Disclaimer: WordGirl is property of Soup2Nuts, PBS and Scholastic. This is a fanfiction and not the doings of the show's creators.

A/N I hope you enjoy the chapter; it's shorter than I intended it to be, but I think it's for the better. R constructive criticism always welcome.

* * *

"You know, I use to be a world class flying ace." The pilot of the small aircraft spoke. "I use to fly in all the big air shows and people would come from miles around to see me." He then proceeded to swerve the plane on and off course.

"Please stop." Sally gripped the arm of her chair.

"Oh don't worry," the pilot gave her a thumbs up. "I use to be a world class flying ace."

"I know," Sally sighed. "You've told me, about a hundred times." The disheartened woman looked out of the window of the small craft hoping to spot something familiar below; something to say she was almost home.

"Yeah, it's a good story to tell. It's even better if you could of seen me. People would come from miles around just to see me fly."

Sally tried to ignore the man. It had only been three hours, but it felt more like three years. All she could think about was Becky. Where could her daughter have gone?

"We're going to have to make another stop." The pilot spoke. "I'm almost out of fuel again. Wouldn't that be awful if we ran out. Woo, I'd have to use my world class flying ace skills to land us safely on a lake or something. I'd be a hero."

"Why me?"

o.

Sitting silently in the back of Dr. Two-Brains van were TJ, Violet and Todd. Tired, confused and disappointed, the group's only hope of saving Becky and Tobey was to head back to the police station.

"We should be out looking for Becky," TJ was staring at the floor, avoiding eye contact with the other two children. His whole body trembled with anger.

"There's nothing we can really do TJ," Violet spoke softly. She shivered slightly from the wetness of her clothes and sent a worried glance in Todd's direction. He was occupying himself with the view outside. "Even Two-Brains thinks it would be best to head back and tell the police."

"Yeah, and waste more time!" TJ's outburst startled the adults at the front of the vehicle, but they chose not to respond to him. "What if that Adler guy has my sister, you saw how dangerous he is!"

"That just shows how much we can't help TJ," Violet glared at the younger boy. "This is too much for us to handle alone. We'd be wasting more time trying to fight Adler alone then we are getting help."

TJ could think of nothing to combat Violet's remark. Instead, he focused his attention back on the floor. . . There really wasn't anything he could do. It was dumb luck that had saved Todd back at the lake house, not anything he and Violet had done. Plus they still didn't know where to look for Becky, but perhaps the police could track down Adler. TJ clenched his fists, he hated this helpless feeling. . . WordGirl just had to help, she just had to be out there working on Becky's behalf.

Though TJ was too vexed to look outside, he was comforted knowing his hero was out looking for . . . no, finding his sister. WordGirl would pull thru for him; she always did.

Violet on the other hand began to think about what she had just said. Did she really believe there was nothing they could do to help Becky? Of course not, telling the police about Adler was the best thing they could do for her. Though, Violet could agree with TJ that this didn't feel all to great. Violet sighed. She then turned her attention to Todd.

"Are you okay?" Back at the lake house there wasn't much time to ask Todd about his ordeal. TJ's and Violet's rescue had happened so fast, Violet wasn't even sure how everything went down. Or maybe that was due to her little accident. Either way, now felt like a good time to ask.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"They didn't hurt you did they?"

Todd seemed to shut down after this question. He closed his eyes and declined to answer. Violet waited just a moment more before Todd did speak up. His speech was directed to her, but Violet could tell he was seeking some kind of condolence in his own words.

"I should be dead right now . . ." he paused for a moment; the van's engine humming being the only sound in the vehicle. "This is the second time I've been saved this week. . . What happened to Becky?"

Violet explained as best she could, leaving out the part of Becky begin WordGirl that is. "I think she went out looking for you, but now she's missing too. WordGirl hasn't been around all night either, but I'm sure she's out looking for Adler."

Todd sighed.

"So it's my fault Becky's missing?"

"No," Violet didn't want Todd to feel guilty for Becky's disappearance. It was because Becky was WordGirl that she had to run off. Becky just must have been so caught up in the search she forgot to let her parents know she was out. Either that or her amnesia was kicking in again. "Becky's going to be fine."

"How do you know?" TJ spat suddenly entering their conversation. He was angry and ready to point fingers. "If you know where she is why don't you tell us already Violet?"

"I don't know where she is."

"At the police station you said you did! So which is it Violet!" TJ was so angry Violet could feel the heat on his face as he got up into hers. "Spill it Violet!"

"Calm down back there," Steven warned. "You're not helping anyone by acting like an animal boy."

"Shut-up old man!" Tears feel from TJ's eyes as the driver glared back at the boy from the rearview mirror. Todd quickly retaliated on the young boy.

"No you shut-up, you're no good to any of us right now. You're screaming and yelling and you almost got us killed on that bike. If you really want to help your sister let her do what she's gotta do and help us identify Adler!"

Everyone was quiet after that outburst. TJ resumed his watching the floor, Todd watching the window, Steven the road, Claire the time. Violet just let the questions roll in her mind, unsure of anything now.

The van pulled up to the police station.

"Get in there and tell them everything you know about the guy." Steven ushered the three children out of his van. "Get every police officer in the station on this case if you can." The children looked up at the police station, angry that this was the only option they had. No WordGirl, no brave attempts at heroism, no clue to their friends' whereabouts; just a strange man's advice.

Claire nodded in response as she too stepped out of the van in front of the sation. She didn't want to stop her search here, but she knew Todd would need some help convincing the police to quit their manhunt for Two-Brains.

"I'm trusting you not to double cross us." Claire said firmly as the mousy villain returned to the driver's seat.

"I'm going to keep looking for them, I promise."

"Are you sure you can handle this on your own?"

"No." Steven smiled confidently. He pulled away from the battered group, watching them enter the station from his rearview mirror; his daunting task looking grimmer by the minute. He still blamed himself, and yet he knew a greater danger was still lose in the city. There was no time to feel sorry for himself, WordGirl needed his help, Tobey was in danger, and other children could be next on Adler's list.

"I'm sorry." A soft voice could scantily be heard over the engine. Steven quickly sent his gaze skyward to acknowledge the speaker before returning his eyes to the road.

"Why won't you tell me where they are?"

"I don't know where they are."

"You're the narrator!" Steven yelled nearly losing control of his van for the second time that day. "You know everything!"

The narrator didn't answer. After his run in with the group earlier, he returned to his work station. He couldn't risk Mr. Comte noticing him missing. Leaving the school was strictly against High Law and would result in a whole lot more than an expulsion. Still, he was proud of his decision to help.

"Can't you at least tell me where I can find Adler?" Steven asked trying his best to remove the agitation from his voice.

"No," the narrator heaved. "My hands are bound by High Law. I'm not even supposed to be talking with you right now."

"What's High Law?"

There was a long pause. Steven waited. It was then he came upon the warehouse where he had last seen his henchmen.

"You're not going to answer me are you?" Steven left his vehicle and entered the warehouse. Save for the dust particles that dance about in the morning light, the building was empty. "I'm wasting my time, aren't I?" Steven sat down on a nearby crate to think.

"It's more like several laws," the silent narrator, who had merely been contemplating his answer, finally spoke. "It was a law made by Britannica's former queen to protect Earth from all foreign influences."

Steven raised an eyebrow.

"So, you're saying that you're an alien, and there are alien rules to protect Earth?"

"Pretty much."

"So, you're going to tell me about it? Isn't that against the law?"

"Well, if Adler's finding a way to break the law, then I only think it's fair that Earth knows about it."

"You do realize that I'm a villain, right?" Steven lowered his head at the shameful fact.

"True, you are a villain," the narrator's voice perked up a bit. "But you're an Earth villain."

Steven smiled lightly at the comment. He couldn't fight logic like that.

o.

"Grandma?" Only WordGirl could hear the words coming from Tobey's mouth. The roar of the council drowned out any hopes of being hear. "That's my gammy sweet mum-mums!" Tobey's face lit up, but then faded. "What is she doing here?"

The doors to the council room opened again as Nona ran to the children's side.

"You two should not have come in like this," Nona struggled to be heard over the crowd. "You're not supposed to be introduced yet." Nona grabbed Tobey's arm and tried to pull him from the room, but she stopped when a sudden hush came over the council.

Tobey's grandmother had raised her hands as a signal for silence. Everyone gave their full attention to her; Nona released her hold on Tobey. Both Tobey and WordGirl were put off by the sudden change in mood by the whole council. The silence was worse than the taunting.

"Why isn't she saying anything?" WordGirl tried to whisper, but Nona gave her a hard nudge to rebuke her questioning. The silence remained for another two minutes as the eldest member just stared at them from her elevated position. Tobey then stepped forward.

"Well if no one else is going to speak . . ."

Nona hurriedly threw her hands around Tobey's mouth. All eyes shifted to the couple.

"Don't you dare say anything." She hissed in his ear while smiling up at the gawking crowd. Nona straightened up and stepped in front of the two children. "Your majesty," Nona bowed her head to the elder woman. "I'm sorry for the, unorthodox manner at which we have come here today, but we acknowledge your immense, and humbly ask for a private audience with you."

The crowd broke out into whispers again as Nona lifted her gaze to the woman. Tobey looked over to WordGirl, lips parted as if he wanted to say something but was holding back.

The elder woman then nodded her head in response and, slowly, the council began exiting the room. Glares and questionable looks were shot in WordGirl's direction. They must have been mad that her being there was more important to Thesauria's queen than theirs. No, that wasn't it, it was Tobey. WordGirl looked to him as if begging him to say what he was holding back.

"She looks like my grandmother, but I don't understand how, how she's the queen of . . . and in space. . ." Tobey was at a loss. "She's supposed to be using a walker and making me cookies, not living in space as the ruler of an entire planet. I don't understand."

"I told you two to hush," Nona reprimand as the room emptied. "Not another word from either of you unless spoke to, got it?"

"Hmm." Tobey crossed his arms while WordGirl watched the older woman step down from her elevated position. Once the woman was level to the small group, Tobey broke away and ran up to his grandmother, much to Nona's horror.

"Grammy sweet mum-mums, this woman kidnaped my friend and me, and I don't understand why you're here, and you know WordGirl helps keep the city safe from people like Adler so I don't know why she's here and . . . can you tell me what's going on!"

The grandmother's eyes lit up at the information she was given. The news set in quickly with her, and she took Tobey's hand in hers.

"Have you been behaving lately?" She asked kindly.

"Just like you've told me grandma," Tobey's smile faded. "But I'm really concerned with . . ."

"And your mother is well?"

"As ever, but . . ."

His grandmother released his hand and went to stand in front of Nona.

"WordGirl is the only child you were supposed to bring back." Despite the sweetness of her voice, Nona seemed to quiver under the old woman's stare.

"I understand, but, Adler seemed to have located your, your gran-grandson?" Nona fiddled with her hands as she tried to explain. "I, I wasn't sure what to do. To be honest I didn't even know if he was, really, your, grandson. You know this changes a lot about history . . . Not that I need to tell you that- but . . . you knew . . ?"

"Adler huh?" The grandmother's face became stern. "Well I guess it couldn't remain a secret forever." She went back to her grandson and placed a hand on his shoulder to get a good look at him. "I'll be keeping Tobey here with me of course. But this bit of knowledge doesn't leave this room, understood Nona?"

"Yes your majesty."

"As for you princess," Tobey's grandmother looked to the superhero. "You are not to mention Tobey's presence to your new guardian. Do you understand?"

WordGirl lowered her eyebrows.

"No, I don't," WordGirl wasn't going to allow herself to be separated from another friend. "We're going home."

"Tobey will," the woman responded. "But you my dear have a duty to fulfill and that requires you to be here. And for Tobey's safety you will follow my instruction without hesitation."

"Wait, wait!" Tobey was still trying to make sense of his new situation. "So WordGirl's a princess and has to go back to Lexicon? And since you're the queen of this place, that means I'm prince here too, right? So, why is it okay for me to go home but not her?"

"We are going home," WordGirl interjected. "And we're going now!" WordGirl didn't want to argue the point anymore. Tobey's grandmother or not, there was no way WordGirl was going to allow herself to be taken away from Earth forever. Not for Lexicon, not to be princess, not for anything.

WordGirl took off like a shot and scooped Tobey up in her arms. The boy hardly had time to protest before WordGirl was out the door.

"She can fly!" The queen looked to Nona with agitation. "I swear, those birth defects are getting worse every year. Can you stop her?"

"I have some lexinite on me, but I'll still have to catch up with her."

"Well, do it. The last thing I want is for people to find out we found both the heirs to the largest kingdoms in existence."

"Right away." Nona ran for the door but stopped as the queen spoke one more word.

"If WordGirl uses this information against Tobey, you will pay for it Nona."

WordGirl tore thru the halls. Guards and servants were flung off their feet at her passing. They looked on in confusion until Nona ran up behind them and explained that WordGirl must be stopped. The council hall's security system was activated and everyone was on their toes. It was more of a mad house than a government building. People were everywhere trying to slow the flying wonder. Jumping up, climbing furniture, throwing random items . . . madness.

"Where are we going?" Tobey called up to his 'rescuer.'

"I don't know," WordGirl admitted. "I guess we could just fly thru a window." The plucky superhero tried to do just that, but the window proved to be more formidable a foe than she first anticipated. The window wasn't made of glass. It was some kind of clear rubbery material that she could only stretch so far. She and Tobey were flung back into the halls of the building like they were shot from a sling.

"Well that worked out well." Tobey crawled out of the heap they had made on the floor. He then proceeded to feel for his glasses. "Help me I can't see." His glasses had been knocked across the room and were now being picked up by one of the servants.

"Gimme those." WordGirl rose to her feet and approached the servant. The lady just smile absentmindedly at WordGirl. "Give that to me." WordGirl pointed at the eye wear.

"Meri samajh men nahin aya." The servant shrugged at WordGirl still smiling, but then she frowned. "Princee," The servant then seemed to recognize WordGirl as the escapee that the council hall was bustling around to get. "Yahan aiyega."

WordGirl wasn't certain what this woman was talking about, so she just snatched the glasses from the woman and went back to Tobey.

"Here Tobey, we got to get out of here."

"Why, my grandma will send us home."

"No, they all plan to keep me here. They think I'm some kind of princess and I don't want to be."

Tobey got to his feet now that he was able to see again. He watched the servant take off down the hall, probably to get some help. He then glared at WordGirl.

"So what's your plan. Keep running until we starve to death. Attack Nona and demand she get us a ship home. Pretend we're not royalty and hope to fool them."

"No," WordGirl couldn't believe Tobey was taking this kind of attitude with her. "I'm thinking we need to find a way home, stop Adler and get our lives back."

"And how are we going to do that, huh?" Tobey wheeled on the superhero, his anger actually causing her a bit of discomfort. "Because the last time I checked, we don't have a ship, we don't speak their language (despite the fact you're 'WordGirl') and they think we're their long lost leaders. People like that want to keep the royal bloodline thing going; it's how they keep their power."

"But that's just it; we're not royalty!"

"You might not be," Tobey smirked. "But I am."

"Be serious."

"I am, my Grammy's sending me home. And she'll get rid of Adler since she's queen and all. So there's no reason for me to run."

WordGirl was hurt by this comment, but knew it was true. Tobey had his ride home, why would she deny him of that.

"What about me?" WordGirl asked.

Tobey tried to hold his unconcerned expression, but his emotions betrayed him.

"Well, you're the princess of Lexicon," he reasoned. "You're going to be treated better here than on Earth anyway."

"Tobey? I'm the city's superhero."

"Not to Becky you weren't."

It was at this time Nona and a few guards appeared at the end of the hall. WordGirl didn't even try to run. She lowered her head and allowed Nona and the lexinite to catch up to her.


	28. Regretful

Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I created WordGirl. This is fanfiction.

A/N: I hope this chapter is greatly enjoyed. You may have noticed the new chapter names; they're there to help me keep track of what's in each chapter. I've also started a thread in the WG forum, if you have time, please give it a look. It would help me a lot with this story. Thanks!

* * *

The ride to her new dwelling was a quiet one. Nona sat beside WordGirl in a hovering carriage. The load was light enough for one horse to pull the two toward their destination. The children in the street stepped aside as the decorative carriage navigated thru the city. WordGirl didn't notice much of what was happening during her ride. Her mind, or rather her heart was being ravished. Everything she had been thru was just becoming too much to handle. How could she ever have thought she was a good hero; even now she was giving up and letting herself be dragged off to another strange place, soon to be another, and another . . . Was she really going to head back to Lexicon? What about the Botsfords, and the city? What about Scoops' justice and Violet's best friend? Was WordGirl going to let them all down . . ? Was it really the princess of Lexicons job to worry?

Who was she trying to kid; she didn't belong to Earth. Sure she handled the little villains here and there, but when push came to shove she failed them all. WordGirl was living a lie, her home only wanted normal Becky back, not the Lexiconian that she really was. The Lexiconian that brought Adler to the city in the first place.

"We're almost there," Nona's voice broke WordGirl out of her thoughts. "I'd like to put the lexinite away and talk to you before we get there, but you mustn't fly off okay?" Nona bent forward to try and read WordGirl's face, but there was no answer to be found. The girl looked weakened, and not by the lexinite. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that WordGirl wasn't quite herself. Nona put the lexinite away and began to speak.

"I'm taking you to live with a Lexiconian loyalist named, Kevin, or at least that's what he wants to be called. He will be teaching you about Lexiconian culture, history, art, whatever there is to know. He's a good man who has volunteered to care for you. He's about thirty-eight maybe forty; I know you'll like him once you get to know him."

WordGirl didn't respond.

"I think you know by now that we believe you to be the princess of Lexicon. That's a big responsibility." Still no answer. "I just want you to understand that we do care about the life you left back on Earth. The queen here is going to do all in her power to get rid of Adler's presence on Earth. And as soon as we can, we'll be sending Tobey home. The queen sees that it would be best that way." Nona faked a smile before addressing the horse. "How much longer?"

"I'ma gonna say, just another street or two." The horse looked back at its passengers as it spoke. Normally this would have been a surprising event for WordGirl; animals on Earth never spoke, save for Huggy. But in the seriousness of the moment, WordGirl just accepted it as the norm for this planet and nothing of any interest.

"WordGirl?" Nona again sought WordGirl's attention. "There are a few, very important things I need you to commit to memory, so please look at me."

The girl didn't comply, but Nona knew WordGirl was listening. What other choice did the girl have.

"Nobody else knows of Tobey's existence, you can't tell anyone about him otherwise he will never be able to go home, and worse yet, more people like Adler will be after him. The queen really wants him to live on Earth. Do him a favor, and never speak of him, to anyone. Second, you need to avoid Britannican loyalists if possible. You will come in contact with a few, but if you don't have Kevin's permission to be with them, get away from them. I don't even want you spending too much time with the queen of this planet as she use to rule Britannica. Just avoid all of them. And, if you ever need me . . ."

Nona pulled a small communication device, similar to Adler's, from her pocket. She placed the circular gizmo on WordGirl's lap.

"Call me. I know it's hard for you to understand right now, but please try, try to understand."

WordGirl would keep the communicator; if she had to get use to this life. The carriage road on for a while longer before it came to stop at the gate of WordGirl's new dwelling. The entire property was surrounded by a high wall with only this wooden gate as an exit. Despite her discouragement, WordGirl decided to look out at her new residence. As the gate open, without any security measures being taken much to Nona's shock, WordGirl was astounded by the garden before her.

It was a picturesque scene framed by the wall, as if WordGirl were looking at a picture book rather than real life. Oriental pavilions, covered walkways, small waterfalls dancing over top of porous rocks that contorted into beautiful forms. There were flowers everywhere; orchids, narcissi, azaleas, chrysanthemums and even lotus flowers bobbing gently in the center pond. It was such a beautiful garden to behold, accented only by the two-story mansion placed at its rear. The Eastern flavor of the entire estate was a wonder to WordGirl; this place was amazingly beautiful.

Nona helped WordGirl step down from the carriage to enter the garden. WordGirl filled her eyes with the sight as they crossed the covered bridge to the front door of the building. There was a lattice window placed near the top of the door that WordGirl wished she could peek thru, but Nona had already warned her against flying earlier that day and she didn't want to make a bad first impression here like she did with the council. Not that she should care . . . was she really going to try and live here?

Hanging beside the door was a long gold colored rope. Nona gave the rope a tug which undoubtedly rang a bell somewhere in the house. WordGirl felt herself become very nervous. What if her real parents were back on Lexicon, waiting for her to be 'educated?' This might be her chance to reunite with her family . . ?

The door opened.

"Hello there my dear friend," Nona bowed in greetings to the monkey that had opened the door. WordGirl glanced around a bit at the odd sight and began to wonder if all the animals on Thesauria were like Huggy. "May I introduce to you the princess of Lexicon." Nona stepped aside to give the monkey a full look at WordGirl.

"Hey," surprised by the whole encounter, WordGirl placed an awkward smile on her face.

"Oh thank goodness you're finally here. My name's Tyesha, Kevin's personal assistant and chief organizer of the household affairs." Tyesha bowed to WordGirl before waving for her to come in. WordGirl looked to Nona who nodded in approval.

WordGirl entered the home. It was quite an interesting sight. Considering all the oddities she had seen that day, this mansion looked akin to a house on Earth. No floating signs, no fancy designs, no child servants; just a normal rich house. Nona was a bit dumbfounded by the house's look as well, but she didn't express her concerns.

"Nona?" Tyesha looked up to the CRA agent. "If the princess has any luggage to be delivered, just leave it in the garden by the gate. Kevin has already seen to it that you got your pay wired to your account. We will no longer be needing your services."

"Can't I speak with 'Kevin' myself?" Nona was clearly offended by her dismissal, but Tyesha didn't seem to care.

"No, goodbye." Tyesha closed Nona out of the house without another word. WordGirl watched the short monkey come stand before her and give her a wide smile. "Welcome to your new home your majesty. I'm so happy I have the pleasure of greeting you here. Is there anything I can get for you? A drink maybe, or something to eat while we wait for Kevin?"

WordGirl just stared at the animal; speechless. How was she supposed to respond to this? Before WordGirl had a chance to answer anything another figure came into the room. This figure was human and she looked overjoyed to see WordGirl. The lady came smiling in from one of the side rooms.

"There she is," the lady beamed pushing Tyesha out of the way to lay her eyes on WordGirl. "The royal heir of Lexicon. And she's just too cute! What's your silly little Earth name princess?"

WordGirl just stared at the woman, mouth slightly ajar. Was this woman for real? Her forged mannerisms were enough to make WordGirl gag, and that sugary sweet smile could rot a dentist's teeth.

"Well don't be shy with me your royal cuteness; I just want to get to know you better."

"Why don't you start by telling her who you are first, your rude-ship." Tyesha barked. The poor monkey had almost been knocked down.

"Dumb little animal," the woman laughed. "I was just about to do that. I'm Miena, historian for the Lexiconian presence on Thesauria. My job is to . . ." The woman was interrupted by Tyesha.

"The boss told you to go by the name Lily."

"Yeah, well I don't give a care, how's that?" Miena snorted down at the monkey before resuming her smile with WordGirl. "I just want to get to know you better, and if it makes you feel better, you can call me Lily. Do you like that?"

WordGirl couldn't help but feel this woman was talking to her like she would a puppy. WordGirl wasn't five; there was no need for this ill-mannered woman to treat her like that.

"Look, I don't really want to be here and you don't really care about me. So cut the act and just tell me what it is you want me to do."

Miena and Tyesha were taken unawares. This wasn't the response they were hoping for. WordGirl crossed her arms and gave a blank stare. Miena then cleared her throat and spoke up.

"Okay? So, would it be alright with you if I ask you a few questions about your past?"

"I was born on Lexicon, duh, and when I was little I climbed aboard a ship and was accidently brought to Earth by mistake. The pilot . . ." WordGirl stopped for a second as she thought about Huggy. It hurt too much to think of him now, so she decided to leave his name out of her story. ". . . took me out of the ship and to the home of the Botsfords; my Earth family. I grew up with them and at the age of seven started a superhero career in my city. I was happy there and I hate being brought here, but I guess some man named Adler is messing my life up. Oh, and you all think I'm a princess. There, happy?"

"Very; now that I know everything you know about yourself is a lie." Miena's grin was authentic this time.

"What?" WordGirl couldn't believe what that lady had said.

"You don't know how you got to Earth or why Adler is after you. This is so interesting. Tell me, what was the name of the pilot?"

"Captain . . . HuggyFace."

Miena's laughter made WordGirl uneasy. She openly mocked the pilot's name before wiping several tears from her eyes.

"You should be a comedian princess," Miena's laughter came to an abrupt stop when yet another person entered the room; this had to be Kevin.

"Enjoying yourself, Lily." The man stood about halfway on the staircase of the foyer. He didn't smile and, to WordGirl, he looked a bit scary. This was going to be her guardian? The man sounded like he was capable of murder and he looked like he might have done it too. "I don't want you talking with her until I say so, is that clear." He wasn't asking a question, WordGirl noted, he was making commands.

"I'm sorry." Miena answered humbly before leaving the room the way she had came. Tyesha too took this opportunity to leave. She bowed one last time to WordGirl before scurrying off.

"So," the man spoke. WordGirl took this moment to realize that the house wasn't well lit. It was as if the only light coming into the house was from that tiny window in the door. The man noticed her distraction and spoke again to regain her attention. "So, would you care to see your room?"

WordGirl didn't dare to disagree with this man. She already knew he wasn't one for asking questions. WordGirl nodded respectfully, waiting for the man to tell her where to go. She could only hope he wouldn't lock her in there with lexinite for the rest of the day.

"Come on then." Kevin turned and went up the stairs. WordGirl followed at a distance, wondering if she should be trying to escape. The upstairs area had better lighting than the foyer. There were large windows at the ends of the hall and some of the rooms' doors were open; light from their windows spilled out into the hall. There were pictures on the wall, all of which WordGirl remembered studying in her art class, and pieces of furniture about. The place looked just like a mansion on Earth might have looked. WordGirl then turned her attention to her care taker.

He didn't look as ominous in the light as he had in the darkness. He was probably thirty-something with a medium build, nothing a superhero like WordGirl would have to worry about. His brown hair was cut nicely, but was fashioned in a style that didn't fit its thickness. Overall, he was just a normal man; nothing to fear. Still, WordGirl had an immediate respect for this individual.

Kevin stopped at the farthest door in the hall. He opened the door and waved for WordGirl to follow him in.

"That's a queen sized bed for you with your favorite colored sheets. The bookshelf here has all of the popular young adult books from Lexicon along with several almanacs and fact books; Miena will be instructing your history lessons so be sure to read them. You have a desk for writing, typewriter included, there's paper and pencils in the drawer. If you need anything, Tyesha will be around to assist you. Her assignment is to make you as comfortable as possible. Feel free to roam the house at will; this is your home as much as mine. But, under no circumstance are you to leave the gardens, understood?"

WordGirl nodded to which Kevin lowered his eyebrows.

"I asked you a question and I expect an answer. Now do you understand where you are not to go?"

"Yes!" WordGirl stiffened at his reaction. Even with superpowers, she felt like crying under his gaze. She hated it here. She wasn't going to be treated well, she wanted to go home. She wanted to play games with her brother and taste test her dad's food; she wanted to watch her mom put villains away in court and struggle with her homework assignments; Becky wanted to watch TV with Violet and report stories with Scoops; she wanted to be annoyed by Tobey and picked on by Eileen; listen to another fumbled speech by the mayor about how Two-Brains stole all the city's cheese; WordGirl wanted to be Becky and she wanted to go home.

Kevin must have noticed her discomfort for he backed off a bit and softened his tone.

"I can see you need a few, hours maybe to adjust; I'll leave then." He closed the door as he left the room.

Becky dropped to her knees and clenched her fists. Though tears fell from her eyes, she couldn't remove the scold on her face. What could she do? They had the advantage of lexinite and her confusion on their side. If she tried to escape they would only bring her back, the planet wanted its ruler and would do anything to keep her. Once on that throne, millions of Lexiconians would be looking to her for leadership, it would be near impossible to leave without them following her back to Earth . . . and more people like Adler coming after her. If she went home . . . she would be putting everyone she loved in danger again, just like Todd. She was stuck.

Out in the hall, Kevin stood motionless as he looked back at the bedroom door.

"Good going," he reprimanded himself. "Just yell at her; that will make her feel right at home. I bet she just can't wait to see me again." Kevin walked down the hall and stopped at the top of the stairs. "I'm only gonna get one shot at this." He told himself.

A wave of emotions came over the man; dark memories flooded his mind. The fear, the wonder, the mercy. Standing in a palace of shame while receiving the highest honor. This girl was his last chance to fix it all. He had seen it all and he knew there wasn't a happy ending for her then, but he could fix that. What he had meant for his good had to be for her's as well.

"I can't, mess this up."

The doorbell rang, a novice Kevin installed for the princess' comfort. He shook the thoughts from his mind as he hastened to the door.

"I got it." He called as his hand touched the handle.

Captain HuggyFace stood desperately at the door. Kevin was shocked that is wasn't Nona returning to speak with him . . . who was this monkey?

"Excuse me," Huggy chirped at the man. "I'm guessing you're Zephyr, WordGi- I mean, the princess' new caretaker?"

"How do you know she's here?" Kevin loomed over the monkey. "Who are you?"

"Sorry, I was the pilot that brought her here . . . the one who's been taking care of her while she was on Earth." Huggy inched away from the man a little. "I left her things at the gate like you asked."

"Great, leave now." Kevin was just about to shut the door when Huggy spoke up again.

"I need to speak with her."

"Why."

"I need," the monkey sighed at his inability to fully express himself. "To say goodbye."

Kevin looked unmoved, but Huggy continued to plead his case. He was WordGirl's dearest friend and only confidant her entire life. The least Kevin could do was allow the aviator to bid farewell to the girl. Plus, it might cheer the princess up. Huggy was shown into the house and was directed to head to the bedroom.

Huggy approached the door slowly. He wasn't certain . . . he would walk in there and apologies for betraying her and bringing her here . . . he would crawl in begging for forgiveness . . . stroll in expressing he did what had to be done and that was it . . .

Huggy knocked, WordGirl called, "Yes," in a slightly shaking voice, Huggy responded, "It's me," the door slowly opened.

WordGirl's eyes were noticeably red. For a moment she tried to look mad at the treacherous sidekick, but that facade quickly weaned. More than anything she needed a friend, and a treacherous one was better than none at all. WordGirl dropped to the monkey's level and scooped him up into a hug. He returned the gesture and just allowed himself to be held.

"I'm sorry," he spoke, sustaining the embrace. "I'm so, so sorry."

WordGirl didn't respond, but Huggy knew she had forgiven him. WordGirl was aware now that there was a lot more involved in his decision than should be questioned of a friend as faithful as he had been. But that did not erase her demand for an explanation.

"Why Huggy?"

"Because, I never did what I was supposed to do."

"I don't get it, you could have helped me, and we could have captured Adler and saved the city. Why?" WordGirl broke the hug so that she could look at her sidekick. He diverted his gaze

"I lied to you, when you asked about your past. I'm not really the captain of some Lexicon ship or anything like that; and you didn't crawl aboard my ship. I spent my life training to be a helper animal for a CRA, Child Relocation Agent. I was assigned to work with a woman named Nona about ten years ago. Our job was to take the children of the royal family of Lexicon to Thesauria where they would be safe. Many children are brought here to keep them from being involved in the war between Lexicon and Britannica. And I failed you. I was young and, and I panicked when everything went wrong. A Britannican solider found us as we tried to escape . . . they killed the royal family, but I managed to get you out . . . without Nona, however, I wasn't completely sure how to get to Thesauria, so I ended up landing on Earth. Due to High Law I thought you'd be safe there, but Adler found you anyway. If he had gotten you, he'd be the ruler of Britannica."

WordGirl was dumbfounded. So everything, was a lie.

"So, my real mom and dad are . . ? I don't understand why you would lie to me like that Huggy. Were you ever going to tell me?"

"Yes, but not until you were older."

"So, I really am the princess of Lexicon? Are they trying to send me to war!" WordGirl's inquires were answered by Kevin as he came thru the door.

"Nobody's sending you to war." Both Huggy and WordGirl looked up to the man in surprise. "You're only here to learn how to rule Lexicon like you would have done if this monkey had completed his assignment."

"I don't want to rule Lexicon!"

"Well, there's no real way around that is there." Kevin stared at Huggy. "Finish telling her everything."

"There's nothing more to tell."

"Then I don't understand why you're still here."

Huggy looked to WordGirl sorrowfully before making his way to leave. WordGirl immediately reached out and took his arm.

"Huggy stays." She glared up at the man. He was a very angry and stubborn man, but he would soon see she could flex the same determination. Fresh hot tears came running down WordGirl's face, but she held her cold stare. "He's not leaving me again."

"He will be leaving now."

"Why! You've already taken everything else away from me, why do you have to take my best friend too!"

Huggy placed a hand on WordGirl's. He smiled weakly.

"It's going to be okay," he loosened her grip on him. "It's for the best that I leave. This is the way it should have been; I'm sorry I didn't get it right the first time." Huggy passed Kevin by the door, but stopped short outside the room. The monkey fixed his gaze on Kevin sternly. Even though Huggy knew this was out of rank, for an animal should never speak out of turn like this, Huggy made sure to address the man when WordGirl wouldn't think to listen for the monkey anymore. "She's never going to want to stay here."

Kevin didn't look at Huggy as he spoke. Kevin watched WordGirl stand off the floor and glare at him. He sighed. This wasn't working out like he had expected. He left the room and WordGirl alone.

The household remained pretty quiet for the rest of the day. Meina and Tyesha were instructed to leave WordGirl alone in her room. Both women worked together, or as 'togetherly' as their attitudes would allow, to bring WordGirl's things into the house. By late afternoon a severe storm began to form out at the edge of the great city. The occupants of the house got the emergency candles ready in the event of a black out, and dinner was prepared early. WordGirl remained in her room all day. She didn't bother exploring the house; there would be plenty of time for that later. Instead, she just thought about her life. She never allowed the two woman to bring her things in to her, WordGirl knew it would just be random things from her ship; nothing really comforting.

But, nature calling, WordGirl finally broke from here stronghold. She opened the door to her room and peeked out into the hall. There were lights decorated to look like candles hanging on the walls. They must have just been put up as she didn't remember seeing them when she first came to her room. WordGirl looked down the hall to the window; it looked like a hurricane outside. The house must have been soundproof; WordGirl could hear nothing from outside.

"I wonder how Tobey's doing?" WordGirl could only hope that 'Grammy' would keep her word and send Tobey home. If she was half as good a person as she posed to be, Adler should be dealt with soon as well.

WordGirl stepped out into the hall and walked over to the stairs. She could hear mumbling from one of the rooms below. WordGirl really didn't feel like talking with the people of this household, but if she didn't 'go' now she was certain she'd pop. WordGirl came down the steps and peeked into the far room of the foyer. Tyesha was in the kitchen of the house, standing up on a stool stirring something in a pot. The monkey looked like she was uncomfortable with the large spoon, as well as unsuited for the equipment she was given. Trying to read from a cookbook propped up next to her, Tyesha accidently dropped the spoon into the pot.

"Opps," Tyesha then reached into the pot, only to retract her hand with a yelp. "Ga That's Hot!"

WordGirl zipped to the monkey's aid, grabbing up the afflicted animal to run the hand under some cold water. WordGirl turned the sink all the way on and let the water splash everywhere. After a few moments, she shut the water off.

"Are you okay?" WordGirl examined the hand several times.

"I don't understand," Tyesha's eyes welded up. "I followed that Earth book, why is it hurting me?"

"Well, duh, you stuck your hand in hot water," WordGirl placed the monkey's arm back into the sink to wash it again. "You're lucky it wasn't boiling."

"I'm so sorry, princess. Please forgive me, I've never cooked this way before." Tyesha continued to cry softly as WordGirl treated her wound. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize," WordGirl instructed Tyesha to hold a cool wet cloth on the burnt hand before she walked over to the pot. "So what are you trying to make?"

"Sas-ghetti, one of your favorite foods from Mother Earth."

"Spaghetti?"

"Oh, yes. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," WordGirl looked at the pot and turned up the temperature of the stove. "I'm guessing you've never made it before."

"You'd be right," Tyesha laughed, embarrassment coloring her cheeks. "I've never hear of the dish before this past hour."

"You've never heard of spaghetti!" WordGirl turned back to the assistant in shock.

"Well, I usually don't eat Mother Earth food, so no. It's just one of the foods Nona left at the gate for you, so Kevin ordered I make." Tyesha shrugged at the comment. "I know I shouldn't ask you, but do you think you can help me?"

"Wait, wait, wait," WordGirl couldn't believe what she was hearing. "If you don't eat 'Earth food,' then what do you eat? I'm not going to be expected to consume space creatures am I?"

"Not as long as Kevin keeps paying Nona to bring you Earth food I guess." Another shrug.

"Why would Kevin do that?"

"He wants you to feel comfortable in your new home. Zephyr's gone as far as removing all the Lexiconian furniture in the house so that you wouldn't be overwhelmed when you first got here. All of which is too extreme for me because I don't know how to use half of this stuff."

"Slow down, who's Zephyr?"

"Oh, Kevin I mean," Tyesha slapped her forehead lightly from her mistake. "But perhaps I'm saying too much. His names Kevin, I'm sorry to have upset you."

"Just stop apologizing," WordGirl spoke harshly as she abandoned the dinner to confront Tyesha for some direct answers. "Is he doing this because I'm the princess of Lexicon, because I can assure you I don't need his sympathy!"

"No, no," Tyesha was startled by the princess' anger and she quickly steeped back from the fuming monarch. "He, he just thought since so much has happened, you being taken from home and all, that, as a present . . ."

"If he really wanted to do something for me he'd help me get home." WordGirl looked back to the pot boiling on the stove. She grabbed another spoon off the table and began stirring the noodles. "Nobody's even asked me if I wanted to be here. I'm the princess and yet nobody's listening to me. Sorry for yelling it just, gah, Tyesha where's the sauce?"

Tyesha was surprised that the girl had redirected her anger at the food instead of on her. Tyesha was so use to her boss screaming at her, that she didn't expect any Lexiconian person to treat her any differently.

"I, I placed it in a small pan next to the stove."

"I mean, don't I get a say in all this? I had a good life back on Earth and all of a sudden Lexicon wants me back! They never wanted me before, why now?" Spices were tossed into the pan right before a lid was slammed on top. "If Kevin, or should I say that liar Zephyr, really cares about me, he'll stop with the pretenses and get real with me. What do you people want from me anyway?"

"Your highness?" Tyesha breathed softly.

"No just listen. It's the least you can do. Not only is that apathetic boss of yours a jerk, he foolishly thinks I'm going to let him lock me, the 'princess' away. Oh, and he has the audacity to send Huggy away. If Zephyr thinks I'm going to let him treat me like this he has another thing-"

Horror stuck the girl as she felt a hand fall on her shoulder. The apathetic jerk had slipped into the room without her knowing and was now towering over her.

"Coming . . ."


	29. Bitter

Disclaimer: I don't own WordGirl this is a fanfiction. I do not endorse the encyclopedia Britannica nor is this a commentary of their service. This is fanfiction.

A/N: Sorry if this chapter sounds like a broken record, no one responded to my forum post so I just repeated whatever I thought might have been missed in other chapters. This chapter was still pretty fun to write. I hope it is enjoyed. As for those of you reading this as it was updating, school starts back up for me on Wednesday so updates might get slow. Please R&R, blessings.

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Becky couldn't help but think back on the lectures of her teacher. He would always ramble on and on about how important homework was or that being on time showed good character; as if she didn't know that. Yes, Becky hated being lectured; especially when it wasn't her fault that whatever it was that upset the adult had happened. Listening to Zephyr made her feel much of the same way. She didn't ask to be dragged to this planet, and yet here she was being lectured on the importance of being grateful. Hmph. What made this worse than her teacher's lectures was she still really had to 'go.' But what use was it to argue with him.

"I didn't have to accept you, there were hundreds of other Thesaurians who wanted to house you. But they wouldn't have taken the steps I have to make sure you were comfortable and well educated. I mean, look around this place, do you think I enjoy having my house turned into an Earthling play house?"

WordGirl just crossed her arms in defiance as she slouched down in the kitchen chair. Zephyr remained standing over her waiting for a reply. The two seemed locked in an epic staring contest; the first to look away admitted their defeat and submission to the other. WordGirl felt uneasy under Zephyr's gaze. Even though she was stronger than him and was remaining in the house on her own accord, there was something about him that threatened her. He didn't look like he was carrying any lexinite nor did he act like he stored weapons on his person, yet WordGirl couldn't shake the feeling; though she did start shaking her right foot. Man, did she need to go.

Tyesha had returned to the spaghetti, leaving the two to solve their own dispute. She knew by now that Zephyr wasn't one to back down lightly, and she didn't want anything to do with that. Soon the spaghetti was on the table and Miena had come to share a meal with the household, but the stare-off had yet to end. Tyesha sighed as she sat up at the Earth table; her hard work had been for not.

"Just look at 'em," Miena spoke as she eyed the food. "They're both childish if you ask me." The Storian then pushed her plate away from herself. "I know you're a stupid monkey and all, but seriously, this looks awful."

"It's a dish from the princess' previous home. You know Zephyr wants her as comfortable as possible." Tyesha then gave her food a skeptical look. "But I will agree that it does look strange."

"Strange? It looks like we're about to eat blood covered worms! Uh, I can't believe I'm going to be stuck eating this crap for the next six weeks. I shouldn't have agreed to this job."

"Stop acting like that," Tyesha sent a worried glance in WordGirl's direction. Luckily Miena's words hadn't offended the princess . . . didn't even look like WordGirl was listening to them at all. "We're doing this for the princess, doesn't that mean anything to you?" Miena rolled her eyes as she smiled at the creature before her.

"It means something to me that you guys don't even know her name, some welcoming party you are."

Tyesha gasped at the realization. It was true; the princess had been with them for the better part of the day and they still didn't know her name. Tyesha quickly excused herself from the table and went to her boss' side. He didn't seem to notice her arrival; he was too focused on the now twenty minute staring contest.

"Um, sir?" Tyesha gently tapped her boss' leg.

"What. Is. It?" He never removed his eyes from the angered fidgetiness before him.

"Sir I, well, that is to say we, Miena really, noticed that, considering how late in the day it is and all . . ."

"If you don't get on with it I swear I'll-" Before Zephyr could come up with a witty reply,

"Treat her like dirt? Oh wait you already do that don't you," WordGirl answered for him. "It must be a thing with you because I know I feel shoveled around." It was the first good comeback WordGirl had ever thought up. If the narrator were here he'd congratulate her for sure. Too bad her need for the restroom trumped her victorious feeling. . . No wait, since she had a good comeback, she could now leave this stare-off without feeling like she lost.

WordGirl hopped out of the chair and stomped from the room. Once out of the kitchen, WordGirl dashed off in search of a bathroom.

Zephyr stood with his mouth slightly ajar, watching as WordGirl left. He couldn't believe the nerve of that girl.

"How dare she talk to me like that." He huffed. Miena only grinned in response to the situation, but she didn't want to try her luck by making a comment on the subject. Tyesha, however, was a bit touched by the response. Zephyr continued his rant. "That ungrateful little missy hasn't a reason in the world to be cross with me, and yet she acts like she owes me nothing. Adler would have killed her if I hadn't insisted in bringing her here."

"You didn't even know Adler was after her." Miena said matter of factually, but Zephyr spoke on as if he never heard her.

"I let her into my home, I made everything to fit her fancy, I even fired my entire staff so she could adjust to life here without the discomfort of onlookers."

"I thought you fired the staff to bring out the Earth stuff." Miena began poking at the food. Again Zephyr didn't listen.

"I am giving up every little thing I have left for her, and this is how she wants to repay me?"

"You live in a mansion; how is this the 'little you have left'?"

"No ward of mine is going to treat me like less than who I am. I deserve so much better than this, I'm doing this for her, right? Tyesha help me out."

No response.

"Tyesha?"

The monkey was no longer in the kitchen, in fact, she had left early on in Zephyr's haranguing in search of the princess. Tyesha found the girl stepping out of the downstairs bathroom. At first WordGirl was surprised to see the monkey standing out waiting for her, but she quickly calmed down.

"Did he force you to come looking for me." WordGirl asked dryly.

"Uh, princess?"

"Yeah."

"Thank you."

WordGirl raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"Zephyr can be rather, brash at times and, well, what you said back there . . . I've been waiting seven years for him to hear that." Tyesha blushed lightly at the shame of wishing ill will to her boss.

"You shouldn't let him treat you like that," WordGirl knelt down to the monkey's level. "It's not right."

"Thank you for your concern, but it really isn't my place to tell him he's wrong." Tyesha lowered her head for a moment. "But that doesn't really matter, I wanted to . . ."

"It does matter," WordGirl lifted the monkey's face to look at her. "You probably do more work than he's ever done. If it wasn't for you his whole house would probably cave in. You deserve to be treated like a valued member."

"I'm happy you'll be ruling Lexicon."

WordGirl sighed as she sat down against the wall. Tyesha could easily tell the princess didn't want to rule; no brainwork needed there. But that was a fact that couldn't be changed.

"Princess, may I have your name?"

". . . WordGirl is what everyone calls me."

"Really?"

"Did, did my real parents," WordGirl sent her empty gaze to the floor. "Have a name for me."

"Emily, but Grammy and Zephyr decided that you would be called by your Earth name instead."

WordGirl laughed a bit at the name 'Grammy.' Maybe Tobey wasn't joking when he said she forced him to call her that. But then again, on a planet full of disregarded children, the Queen was probably like the only grandmother they'd ever had. WordGirl was saddened by this news.

"This planet, Thesauria?" WordGirl patted the ground beside her to get Tyesha to sit. From their position they could see out of a high set window; the storm had grown worse. "Is this where all children are brought?"

"No, just the children most at risk of getting hurt in the war. Once they reach the legal adult age of their home planet they are sent back. Thesauria's a neutral planet and isn't involved in the war, so it's safe here."

"So why does the former Queen of Britannica rule it? And, as a Lexiconian, shouldn't I be scared of her?"

Tyesha breathed out heavily. She looked to WordGirl then back out at the storm.

"I'm not a Storian, so I shouldn't be telling you anything about history." Tyesha admitted.

"You know I'm not going to listen to that Miena girl. Just tell me, I'll keep it a secret. Please, I really need to know about my past." WordGirl's thoughts drifted to Tobey for a moment. Here was his and her history clashing together and causing a war. There were so many unanswered questions.

"Well, I'm not really good at storytelling, but for you princess, I'll try."

"Tell me everything if you can."

"Well, Britannica and Lexicon have been at war for the last 234 years. No one even knows what started the fight anymore, I don't think I ever studied it in school, but my teacher didn't come from Storia so he probably just forgot to mention what started the war or when . . ."

"Not to interrupt you, but maybe that's too much . . ."

"Right, just what pertains to you. Sorry. Well, about eighteen years ago the King of Britannica ordered an attack on the royal family of Lexicon. From what I remember from school, Britannica's king sent his son on the mission. But the mission failed. The prince of Britannica committed treason and warned Lexicon's king before he was killed."

"So my family wasn't killed?"

"Let me finish the story; it's really long. Well, Lexiconian law states that all traitors be killed (Lexiconians hate people who are not true to their home planets). Everyone on Britannica assumed that the prince was killed by Lexicon's government. So Britannica tried another attack on Lexicon eight years later. The king and queen of Lexicon where killed along with their three sons."

"So my parents were murdered?" WordGirl asked the storm beginning to loss its fire. "What about me? A CRA agent took me away?"

"Your father at that time was the chief advisor to the king and captain of the guard. You see, you're not the daughter of the king and queen, you were just betrothed to the eldest son, and Lexicon law states that being promised into the royal family is all that is required to make you an heir. But yes, they were murdered too. . . But back to our queen; when Britannica put more military bases on Storia about seven years ago, they found information that Lexicon's queen had taken pity on the prince for saving her family's life. Lexicon had permitted the prince, or rather banished him to Earth. Well, Britannica's king was advised to have his son killed for the treason he committed. The king agreed and a team was sent to, you know, finish the prince off. Well, the queen of Britannica was so mad at her husband's decision, she left him."

"So, Tobey's da- I mean, Britannica's prince is . . . but the team that went to find him didn't find his family there, right?"

"The prince never had a family."

" . . . but I was sent to Earth, say, three years before he left?"

"I'm not really good at math." Tyesha watched WordGirl run the facts thru her head. The monkey knew this was a lot of information for a child to have to deal with, especially considering the stress she had already been thru today. "Maybe I should stop telling you this and just let Miena finish the story."

"Yes, I think you should." Both Tyesha and WordGirl were shocked to see Zephyr was standing just a few feet away from them. He had a hard expression on his face. Tyesha sank at the sight of it.

WordGirl on the other hand, had enough of Zephyr's rude interruption. Just when she was starting to get some answers, just when things were adding up, he was there to discredit the facts. WordGirl had taken this transfer civilly up till now. She wasn't attacking him or trying to ruin his life, WordGirl was simply attempting to understand her new life. The least he could do was empathize.

"NO! I think we're going to finish our discussion and you're going to butt out of it." WordGirl gave the man a stern look. Tyesha positioned herself behind WordGirl.

Zephyr looked down at the assistant of his; she diverted her eyes, but then quickly looked back up at her boss. In this moment, Tyesha remembered WordGirl's words and took strength in them. She wouldn't disrespect her boss, but she wasn't going to let him treat the princess like this. She had a right to know.

"Sir," Tyesha didn't step out in front of the princess, but she held her ground. "Princess WordGirl needs to know her history sooner or later, and it really isn't a bother to me to . . ."

"I said, enough."

"But sir, her history . . ."

"It's not her history you're telling!" Zephyr took a step forward only to have WordGirl do the same. Her hero instincts were kicking into full gear. There was no way she was going to let this bully treat her new friend this way.

"Leave her alone, Zephyr." WordGirl lifted to match eye level with the man. As she looked into the man's eyes, she didn't see the anger she was expecting. She saw hurt.

"And by what authority have you to tell me how to treat my animal, hmm? I've given up too much to have this opportunity, and I'm not having you mess it up by learning everything wrong!"

"Given up! You don't know anything about giving stuff up!" Becky felt her eyes water a bit as she yelled. "Try having your whole life taken away from you," WordGirl pressed closer to the man, waving her hands to emphasize her points. "Living with the shame that your best friends probably rejects you; just finding out, you love the people who have grown to love you; having your heart broken because . . . because there's nothing you can do to save him. No, I know what giving stuff up means, because I have to live here. Yeah I might get the honor of being princess, but I have to deal with being a lousy hero. . . you have, no idea . . !"

Zephyr's demeanor seemed to diminish and WordGirl lowered herself to the ground slowly. WordGirl covered her face quickly to hide the tears that now flowed freely. Tyesha was surprised by Zephyr's sudden mood change and was unsure of what she should do now. She didn't want to watch the princess cry, so she sent her gaze to the clam evening sky outside the window.

"I didn't say I didn't want you to hear your history," Zephyr spoke delicately. "I just . . .I don't . . ." There was a long pause where only WordGirl's sniffing could be heard.

"The queen of Britannica left her husband because she couldn't stand the sight of the man who killed her son." Zephyr sat down against the wall and waited for the girl to follow suit. "She was so enraged by the events of the war, she wanted to build a planet that could save children from the horrors of it. Thesauria already had a history of housing children, but she made it better. Soon after establishing her new kingdom, she made what has come to be known as High Law. It was an order to protect Mother Earth from the craziness we had created. It was to ensure that children like you would never have to face what Prince Theodore had to."

"I guess, it wasn't that successful huh?" WordGirl wanted to laugh off this entire situation, but her voice came out as a weak whimper.

"No, it's people like Adler who make High Law void. It's people, like us." Zephyr lowered his head. "This war is pointless. It's just a bunch of innocent people dying over nothing."

Silence.

"Was it Adler who killed the prince?" WordGirl felt she knew the answer, but she still needed to hear it. It only made sense. He had killed her family, why not Tobey's too.

"And what do you plan on doing with that information?" Zephyr looked over at the girl.

"I don't know. But, Adler's ruined everything for me. He got me taken away from my parents and killed my real ones, he killed Scoops . . . he's trying to take over Britannica; he's breaking High Law can't we get him arrested?"

"Not that easy. Adler is one of the advisers to the king. He's highly decorated and has helped bring more victories to Britannica than I care to count. Breaking one law to capture you isn't going to get him into too much trouble."

WordGirl couldn't say that Adler was also trying to kill the rightful heir to Britannica, but she felt that would be enough to get him put away. But that meant that Tobey's identity would have to be disclosed . . . which Grammy didn't want. Without Tobey being discovered, there was no way for Adler to be arrested. Oh how this infuriated her.

"He deserves to be punished. He's a liar and a sneak. Trust me, he's broken more than just one law."

"Ah, you're bitter," Zephyr exhaled.

"I am Not. Bitter." WordGirl wouldn't even entertain that idea. She had a right to be angry; Adler was ruining her life. He also killed her biological family before she had a chance to meet them. And now, after hearing this story, she knew Adler was the cause of Tobey's troubles too. How awful it would be when Tobey learned his father was murdered; she knew it was hurting her. WordGirl shook the thought from her head.

"If you're harboring feelings of resentment against Adler, then you're bitter WordGirl." Zephyr didn't look at the princess, he placed his eyes on the window just as Tyesha had done.

"So what if I'm bitter; I have a reason to be."

Zephyr sighed. WordGirl watched as the man seemed to be mulling over his next words. As she watched him, she thought about her history. So much pain in it. She never could have imagined a story like this for her real family. All she had ever known was the story Huggy had made up, and it had always been enough for her. Nothing like this ever happened in her city, and it was all so overwhelming.

"You know," Zephyr finally spoke, as if to someone in the distance, beyond the window. "Maybe I'm bitter too."

Both WordGirl and Tyesha gave Zephyr questioning looks.

"I hate living here. I hate, my life . . .so I can't really tell you how to live yours can I."

"Why don't you go back to Lexicon?" WordGirl asked. "I know I'd go home if I could."

"Because I refused to fight in the war," Zephyr lowered his head. "If you're not willing to kill, then nobody wants you. Not Lexicon, not Britannica. The only decent place that's left is Earth . . ."

"Have you ever been there?"

". . . It was a while ago, but yes I have. And I loved it. I, I was there for a research project but, it all became an obsession for me." Zephyr closed his eyes and just allowed the memories to play out on the backs of his eyelids; WordGirl quietly observing.

o.

"Is that why High Law was made? To protect the safest place for children?"

"Not just that, but to protect something more. Mother Earth is something very precious to everyone. I'm certain you've noticed that, well, for an alien, I'm pretty human."

"I'd have to say the same for WordGirl." Steven's mind was spinning on what the narrator had told him. But there wasn't much time to think it all through. Though the narrator didn't have all the details of WordGirl and Tobey's pasts, he knew enough to get Steven to understand the severity behind Adler's threats. "So, all you aliens are just ex-Earthlings who aren't supposed to mess with the 'home' planet, but Adler wants to kill the princess of Lexicon, who happens to be WordGirl?"

"Yep."

"And Tobey might be an alien, so Huggy just took him away too?"

"Most likely."

"Great, now that that's settled," Steven scoffed. "How are we going to stop Adler?"

"If you could see me right now, I'd be shrugging." The narrator looked at the screens that surrounded him. His eyes were becoming dry from the constant monitor watching and lack of sleep. But he couldn't rest now. Even though he was strictly forbidden to disclose Adler's whereabouts to Steven, the narrator wanted to keep an eye on the Britannican.

Steven was now heading back out to his van. He needed to find his henchmen; the more eyes looking for Adler the better.

"Hey Narrator!" Steven looked back up to the sky. "Can you at least give me a hint where he is?"

"I already told you . . ."

"Yeah, yeah, High Law. But as long as you don't tell me directly, than you're not in direct violation of the law, right?" Two-Brains smiled at his own criminal genius.

". . . It starts with the letter 'L' and ends with 'ake.'"

Steven was speeding down the road in an instant. His warehouse hideout wasn't too far from here. He'd grab his men and hunt Adler down.

But at the lake house, a very different scene was playing out than what Steven could anticipate. After the children's narrow escape, Adler had turned his anger entirely on Curtis. The assistant had taken all of Adler's frustration in the moment, which could only be expected. Curtis had betrayed Adler, but he had upheld High Law; he wasn't a traitor. Beaten and without resource, Curtis could now only sit in a heap on the floor, awaiting the rest of his punishment. Yet oddly enough, Adler was too frustrated to continue his rampage upon the man, he wanted something else.

Adler had stepped outside quite some time ago and during that time Curtis tried to regain some strength. At any moment Adler might return, angrier than ever. Unfortunately, no amount of resting could undo the blows Curtis had taken. On Adler's reentry into the house, Curtis could do nothing more but hope Adler would leave him alone. And to his amazement, Adler did!

That couldn't be a good sign. Adler was looking too calm for a man who had recently beaten his assistant half to death. . . Adler must have been working on another plan. Curtis knew that was it. Adler wasn't giving up, he really was going to threaten the city. . . and Adler was going to expect him to help. Curtis knew that was why Adler had kept him alive. For whatever sick reason, Adler wanted him; after all the treachery Curtis had done, Adler should have killed him for it unless he saw a way to use it to his benefit.

Screaming? Suddenly Adler's voice echoed throughout the house. Cutis couldn't make out exactly what he was saying, but it couldn't be a positive thing. The shouting began to frighten Curtis. He'd never seen Adler get as mad as he had been on this planet, and with each passing mishap he seemed to become more enraged.

The door to the room Adler had been in could be heard slamming open. Adler's footsteps could be heard coming up the hall to where Curtis lay. The younger man closed his eyes, accepting his own demise . . .waiting . . .waiting . . . shouldn't it have come by now?

Curtis opened his eyes to see Adler standing over him smiling.

"You've always brought me such joy Curtis." The man laughed, but not from happiness. This laugher was a sick kind, and a kind Curtis had never heard bellowed before. It made him feel worse than the beating he had received.

"I know they're watching, Curtis," Adler knelt to his assistant, his grin disgustingly plastered to his face. "And I've never been more ready for this in my life." Adler reached down and pulled Curtis up by the collar of his shirt.

Mustering all his remaining strength, Curtis tried to get to his feet so not to get hurt by Adler. Curtis was then tossed to the wall by Adler and pinned there for the rest of Adler's speech.

"I'm gonna get my revenge on WordGirl, and I'm going to get it on Theodore. I don't care what they do to me, but I want you to help me one last time. You're going to tell everyone, that Adler's heading to the police station. And I think I can trust you to tell the right people Curtis; they're always watching." Adler released his hold on the younger man and then headed for the door. "It was fun working with you Curtis. Perhaps with your loyalty, you'll make a good mission leader yet." Adler was gone.

He limped away from the wall and took hold of some furniture to steady himself. Curtis knew that whatever was going thru Adler's mind was going to spell disaster for this city, and its inhabitants. It was as if the man had snapped.

Curtis could admit that he wasn't proud of everything he'd done in his life, but going against High Law was a step too far. Regardless of if his efforts would go in vain or not, Curtis left the house and swore to himself to help undo the mistakes he had left with this city; the mistake of helping Adler.

And though this situation was far from what Steven could anticipate, it was clearly displayed for the narrator. Once Adler had begun yelling, the narrator took his attention away from Steven to watch.

"Forget your henchmen," the narrator instructed the mousy villain. "Adler's leaving the lake house!"

"What? Where's he going?" Steven turned the van toward the lake. He had no idea which house the villain was in, but he had to try and get there before Adler got too far along.

"I can't say."

"Of course not. He's gonna get away." Steven stressed. The narrator thought for a moment.

"Hey, if you can get Curtis to tell you everything, than you could bust Adler without much infringement to law."

"And this Curtis fellow is at the lake house too?"

"It's a definite maybe."

Steven began his search of the lake. It took two go-arounds, but he finally spotted the object of his search. A man's body was laying, passed out by the bank of the shore. Steven parked the van on the road and came down to the man's assistance.

"Hey, Curtis!" Steven dropped to help the man up. "You okay? You've got to help me. Can you tell me anything about Adler . . ? Do you, need a doctor?" This individual looked horrible, it was amazing he had made it outside at all.

Steven only received a weak cough as a reply. Nothing very useful right now. Steven glanced around. There were several homes built around this lake, and, with it now being morning, soon people would be waking up. Steven knew he needed to get out of sight; it wouldn't look to good if Dr. Two-Brains was running around.

Steven, despite the pain it caused his own wound, wrapped an arm around Curtis and helped him up. The two staggered back to the vehicle where Curtis was placed on the passenger's side.

"Please, I know you've had a rough night," Steven pleaded with the man knowing this might be the only hope left for WordGirl and Tobey now. "But Adler has to be stopped before more people get hurt."

"The police . . ." It pained Curtis to speak.

"Okay . . ? You have to tell me more than that!" Steven was lightly reprimanded by the narrator for his harsh tone. Steven sighed. He knew his abrasive attitude would do nothing to help the situation, but he felt aggravated all the same. With Adler moving out again, it was only a matter of time before another gun was pulled or child kidnaped.

"Adler, wants to threaten, the city. WordGirl will come back, for the city."

Steven looked up to the narrator; fear and urgency in his gaze.

"There's nothing he can do to the whole city," the narrator assured. "Curtis, please, you have to be more specific."

"He'll do it!" Anger fueled Curtis to respond. "He'll do it, he'll do it. Adler, if it kills him, he'll find . . . something."

"No," the narrator retorted. "Please, tell us exactly where he's going . . ."

"The Police station."

Steven felt his heart skip a beat.

"Why?" Steven couldn't contain the panic in his voice. "What does he want there? They'll catch him and he can't be king."

"He knows those kids are there and, WordGirl'll come back for them. This isn't just about being king for him . . . now that I'm thinking about it; I don't think it ever was." Curtis then closed his eyes. He could finally rest; someone knew of the danger.

"What does he mean?" Steven again turned to the narrator. "You said if he got the princess he'd be king. He can't get her this way!"

"Well," the narrator hesitated for a moment. "Curtis is right; WordGirl would come back for them." Steven ran back to the driver's side of the van ignoring the rest of the narrator's response. "And now that Curtis mentions it, maybe Adler doesn't want to be king just to rule. I mean, WordGirl's dad did kinda kill Adler's, so, this is probably more based on revenge than becoming king. To be honest, he might only want to be king just to retaliate against someone who's already dead."

"You know, I don't even care anymore; just how are we going to stop him? I mean, you can't tell me anything, this guy's passed out, WordGirl left for Lexicon and Adler apparently has a way to attack the police station! It's like, there's nothing we can do except hope to God that Adler gets bored and heads home."

Steven fiddled in his pocket in search for the key. Once he found it he put it in the ignition. The van revved up for a few seconds, but then died out with a low clunk. Steven tried again to no avail; the fuel gage read 'empty.'

"And now, my van is out of gas. It never runs out when I'm doing something illegal, but, lo and behold, the one day I wish to help humanity, it runs out of gas! Perfect!" The man dropped his head down only to smack it into the steering wheel. "OWW!"

The narrator shook his head at Steven's desperation.

"You know, you could always take the bus."

"OH, because no one's going to call the police if Two-Brains hops on the bus."

"Well, at least you get a free ride to the station." The narrator realized how lame that joke was and how inappropriate for a moment like this, but before he had time to apologize the door to the narrator's work station suddenly burst open. The narrator hardily had time to face the intruder when he felt his arms grabbed by his campus' security. Mr. Comte entered the room and stood before his rebellious student.

"I told you to 'go back to your room,'" The elderly man frowned and took a deep breath before speaking again. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, but for the sake of the school, and Britannica, you're going to have to be exterminated."

"Exterminated? Don't you mean 'expelled?'" The narrator raised an eyebrow at his captives.

"No, I don't." Mr. Comte waved for security to remove the narrator from his station. The narrator barely had time to shake his stunned revulsion,

"Wait!" The narrator yelled to Mr. Comte's complete surprise. "I'm not a citizen to Britannica . . ."

"Narrator?" Steven could no longer hear the narrator's cries."Hey, are you up there?" Steven was alone. He wasn't certain what had taken place on the narrator's end, but now wasn't the time to waste contemplating it; he needed to get to the station before Adler did, but how?


	30. Lunar

Disclaimer: I do not own WordGirl. Composers of songs as they are mentioned: Matthew Wilder, A-ha, Kool & the Gang, Lou Johnson/Naked Eyes remake.

(A/N) This chapter was pretty fun to write. Prepare for mild peril. In the event anyone feels that I have broken the site's rules with the mention of the songs, just let me know and I'll rewrite that part of the chapter. I don't think I have because I'm not putting the entire song in this fic, but seriously, let me know.

* * *

Adler had been sitting in front of a computer back at the lake house. He was thinking over his plan, and how it had gone wrong. How years of tracking the princess and sucking-up to the king were wasted; the events of his father's death still plaguing his mind. How had a mission as easy as locating a little girl, capturing her and bringing her back to Britannica become so hard?

WordGirl undoubtedly knew who she was by now, and Theodore III would soon find out his history too. Worst yet would be if Britannica found the rightful heir; Adler would never gain his revenge. So much of his life and desires were caught up in this moment because, he had never gotten to deliver the justice his father so rightfully deserved. When the king of Britannica gave the order for Theodore to die, it was like music to Adler's ears. Theodore had escaped punishment for eleven years by hiding out on Earth; justice was to be given for Lieutenant Scots. The king had even allowed Adler to lead the group to Earth.

But once they got there . . .

Far Side authorities greeted Adler and his men as they docked at the station. It was a welcoming committee wearing bright smiles and offering sincere congratulation. Adler had come to Far Side's base because he had been informed that the traitor Theodore had been captured by their efforts. Theodore had been locked away on the base and would be handed over to him, to Adler. And Adler's joy could hardly be contained.

In all the excitement, one of the Far Side members took Adler aside to a sitting room. He was told by the member that the head of the base would see him soon. Adler nodded in understanding, and the person left.

"Soon this will be over," Adler breathed. "I can't believe the man lived past Lexicon." Adler took note that there was a large window in the room. Curiosity struck him as he began to approach it. About 253,000 miles below him was the mother planet, Earth. How amazing it looked from here, and yet,

"Disgusting." Any planet that housed Theodore was a disgrace. There was nothing about that rock that made it any more special than Britannica. The effort put into its protection had simply been a waste. This new 'High Law' being enacted would do nothing more but make it even harder to bring justice down on people like Theodore. No one had messed with Earth in the past, why did it need a law now.

"Captain Adler," A voice startled Adler from his thoughts. "I'm, very surprised to see you here so soon." It belonged to the head of the Far Side operation, Mare Imbrium. She was a very warm lady despite the line of work she found herself doing. And with only a few more months until High Law would be instigation, she had built the entire Far Side Authority operation from the ground up in record timing. Regardless, Adler didn't care much for her pleasantries and only endured them to get to his goal; the satisfaction of looking Theodore in the eye as he carried out the orders of the king. "Since you already know that our mission here is to Protect Mother Earth, you'll be happy to know that Far Side has worked at its upmost efficiency to capture former Prince Theodore without disrupting Mother Earth. I know that is your chief concern."

"Naturally." Adler answered dryly already bored by the conversation.

"And I can promise you that High Law is the only law Far Side will swear it's allegiance to, and promises to uphold it to the death, if need be."

"Great, what about the prisoner?"

"Oh, well. Protocol states that I am to walk you thru the procedure we used in order to track and arrest Theodore . . ."

"Look Miss. Imbrium. I've traveled all the way from Britannica to execute justice, not listen to glory stories. So if you would be so kind . . ."

"Well that's just it Captain," Imbrium dropped her cheery disposition. "Theodore's already dead."

"What? " Adler couldn't believe what he just heard.

"While we were working to locate him, he came to us. Apparently he had found out that we were looking for him and he wished to infiltrate justice to himself. And by a, rather gruesome Earth method, he, proceeded to kill himself."

Adler just stared at her. It was as if, with this one chance to make things up to his father, Theodore had betrayed Adler again. Ever since his father's death, Adler had been trying to win something back. Being king was a way to honor his father's efforts . . . but it never felt like enough. Even killing Captain Noah and King Flaccus didn't ease the pain. Hearing that Theodore was still alive had been the greatest news to Adler; he could finally get rid of the guilt and appease his bitterness . . . but Theodore had even stole this redemption from him.

. . . Yet now, with Theodore's son, Adler had a chance . . .

Sitting now in the lake house, his memories giving him a small break, Adler mulled over the possibilities for the city. There had to be a way to gain WordGirl's attention and get her to come back. Even if she brought an army with her, they could do little to him while he was on Earth; finally one good use for High law. The rightful heir might be able to get Britannica after Adler . . . no, at this point there was no reason to believe that Theodore III had been discovered; so Adler still had a good chance at ruling the kingdom and . . .

His communicator began to sound off. Adler pulled the device from his pocket quickly to read the name; who other than Curtis would care to contact him? He was mortified; the name was that of the queen of Thesauria, his former queen.

What could he do? He couldn't leave her waiting. Even after leaving the planet of Britannica, her rank was to be honored by anyone below her position. But there was the overwhelming fear that . . . Adler took a deep breath and answered.

"Your Grace, how may I . . ."

"Don't try me Adler, I've already contacted Far Side. I'll see to it that you die for your treason towards Britannica and High Law. If you take any further action against my grandson, I will see to it that even Lexiconians define traitor with your name." End of transmission.

Adler remained frozen; his father's dishonorable death playing over and over in his mind. The shame, the guilt, the hatred weighing down his body like lead bricks thrown on top of him. His heart barely beating between his shallow breaths.

It was over. That simple. Soon Far Side Authority would be bearing down on him; there was no escaping a royal's decree. . . No . . .

"No, no no, NO " Adler threw the communicator across the room. The device caused a small explosion as it crashed into the wall. "I've worked too hard " For a moment it felt like Adler couldn't inhale anymore. Years of hate and guilt now wrapped their hands around his neck and choked him to the floor. Tears fell, fists pounded .

. . . fear dropped its hold on the man as his nerves learned to cope with the new stress.

Adler had worked too hard.

Several moments past as Adler did everything in his power to calm himself down. Now wasn't the time to panic, and yet his emotions were being flung about by every fancy his fears conjured up.

"There has to be something . . . a way around her somehow." Adler swallowed hard as he got to his feet.

The thought of Far Side coming after him . . . They were the best trained at what they did; a police force geared toward preventing offense like his. Anyone who stepped out of bounds while visiting Earth was subject to Far Side. . . The idea of the group that couldn't catch Theodore would be able to arrest him made Adler's temper rise even more; he breathed deep to compose himself, he had to think. There was no way Far Side could come after him directly, that would defeat the purpose of protecting Earth. He still had time. . .

"How did she find out?" Adler circled the room, attacking every possibility of escape with vigor. "There was no way she could have known about her grandson. . . he didn't know to tell her."

Adler couldn't see how it was possible for the queen to know. The boy didn't even know, someone would have had to tell him. . .unless . . .

"The queen made High Law to protect her grandson; she made it because she found out about the boy before her son's death." A smile raced across the man face. "She's been keeping it a secret for the past eight years; she wouldn't tell Far Side now. She wouldn't risk telling what she's been hiding for so long."

The plan presented itself to Adler as a photo to its developer. Adler laughed to himself as the idea of Far Side coming after him was now a great joy. He'd get WordGirl's attention for sure now, and even better, and it was going to take down everyone who stole solace from him.

Adler wasted no time. For now, time was his closest friend, and one he had learned to manipulate well. He had his plan, and he was ready to erase anything that stood in his way.

o.

"What was your favorite thing about Earth?"

"Milkshakes."

"Oh yes I love those."

"It feels like eons since I last had ice-cream, of any kind."

It didn't take much coaching to get Zephyr and WordGirl to head back to the dinner table. Tyesha only had to remind the two that they hadn't eaten all day and the two humans' stomachs began growling. The two ate the spaghetti and swapped stories about Mother Earth. All of which was very entertaining to Tyesha and recorded by Miena. . . Well, for about ten minutes it was recorded, then Miena could no longer watch people eat worms.

"My dad taught my brother and me how to make ice-cream once, I bet I could make some for you." WordGirl added another helping of noodles to her plate. Zephyr no longer seemed so scary. WordGirl wasn't sure if it was the fact that he was taken away from his home too, but after their talk in the hallway she felt more connected to the man.

"That would make me happier than you could imagine." Zephyr helped the girl add more sauce to her plate. "You know what else I loved best about Earth?"

"What?"

"The music."

WordGirl started to eat again. That lexinite must have taken more out of her than she first anticipated; she was starving. Tyesha on the other hand was thrilled; all her work was being enjoyed, even if it had gotten a little cold. She even tried a few forks full herself. But greater than that, it seemed Zephyr's anger was gone. After his talk with WordGirl he seemed in a much brighter mood . . . a mood she had never seen him in; well, except for that time in the basement. Zephyr must have really loved Mother Earth. He was acting like a child again, and the princess was just fueling the fire. Had Tyesha not seen the two fighting earlier that day, she would have mistaken the two for old time friends.

"Maybe that's just what Earth does to people." Tyesha smiled as she rose from the table. She began clearing the dirty dishes as Zephyr sang out a chorus to some Earth song.

"'Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride; Nobody gunna slow me down,'"

"I've heard that song." WordGirl smiled broadly as the man continued.

"'Oh no, I've got to keep on moving. Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride, I'm running and I won't touch ground . . .'"

"My dad sings it sometimes; Mom hates hearing it."

"Well, it doesn't really flatter the female component of the song. Oh, how about, 'Take on Me?'" Zephyr was excited to start another round of songs while WordGirl did her best not to join in and ruin the moment. She'd never heard this song in its entirety, but she knew the chorus well enough. "I'll be gone- in a day or Two " The last note cracked out of Zephyr's mouth and he had to cough to regain his speaking voice.

WordGirl covered her mouth to try and hold back a laugh.

"I'd like to see you sing that note," Zephyr snorted. "It's hard. I did pretty good if you ask me."

The laughter could be held back no longer. WordGirl burst into a fit of hysteria, her snorting working Zephyr into the same fit. Tyesha just scratched her head. She couldn't understand how two stubborn hotheads had hit it off so well. She never knew her boss to be this jovial, and his opening up to WordGirl was more than out of character for him. Perhaps he finally understood the loss WordGirl must have been feeling.

Tyesha thought about her boss as she placed some dirty dishes into the sink (she wasn't certain how that would clean the dishes, but Earth dinner customs ended with the dirty dishes in the sink to be washed). Tyesha stared at the dishes and waited for the cleaning magic to begin. This made her think about what Zephyr had said, ". . . all became an obsession for me." What did he mean by that?

Tyesha was surprised when her boss showed her his collection of Mother Earth things, and even more shocked that he knew how to use most of it. Not even Miena knew about all the stuff, and she was a historian. It was a world their people had left behind years ago, and here her boss was well versed in it. It was strange at the time and even stranger now that the princess was here. Come to think of it, Zephyr was more mysterious now than when she first started working with him.

She remembered how she had been given to her boss. He was exiled from Lexicon for 'misconduct,' or at least that's what her trainer had told her. Tyesha never questioned it however, as it wasn't her place. Time would reveal to her all she needed to know about the man if she were patient. And time did prove one thing; the more she got to know him the more she found out that he didn't support the war. He always claimed he wanted Lexicon to win, but he had a very backwards way of showing it. He always hired Britannican workers over those of Lexicon, and he never observed Lexiconian holidays. Tyesha always thought he was just cross about being exiled, but when she found out he wanted to raise the princess of Lexicon, well, she wasn't sure what that meant.

Why didn't he fight in the war if he wanted Lexicon to win and prosper? Tyesha had always imagined that Zephyr had refused to fight in the war because he was afraid to die, but now . . . when Zephyr told WordGirl the real reason why he couldn't go back to Lexicon, Tyesha could piece together his puzzle a little more. There were still holes, but it was beginning to make sense.

And to be honest with herself, it kind of hurt that Zephyr would tell this newcomer such a secret before her. . .

Music? Tyesha broke her gaze on the dishes to look back at the table. WordGirl and Zephyr were no longer seated but had moved out to the sitting room. Tyesha quickly went to follow them.

WordGirl was seated on one of the large couches of the room watching as Zephyr set up what Tyesha didn't know was a record player. The song "Celebration" came blaring out of the speakers. Tyesha covered her ears; it was dreadful noise as far as she was concerned.

Zephyr and WordGirl enjoyed the noise however. They both recognized the tune and knew the words. And thanks to the music's volume, WordGirl didn't have to worry someone would hear her singing along. Soon Zephyr extended his hand to WordGirl.

"Care to cut a rug?"

"The rug wouldn't be the only thing to get cut. I think I'll stay seated." WordGirl waved Zephyr off as she simply took in the pleasure of hearing Earth music. . . What was she doing? WordGirl couldn't believe she was having this much fun. She should be worrying about the city and Tobey and her parents, not goofing around. But then again, there was no way to get home.

WordGirl watched as Zephyr extended his invitation to Tyesha. The monkey tried to refuse but was snatched up by her boss and was soon being swung around the room.

WordGirl began to wonder if Tyesha, Miena and Zephyr were being forced to be here. None of them seemed very happy, and Zephyr even admitted to wanting to go back to Lexicon. Thesauria was a planet of outcasts; from the children in the streets to the leadership in the council, the queen notably. Everyone here had a story as bad as or even worse than hers . . . maybe, it was best she was here. Back home, all these people had been hurt, why should she pretend to be a superhero on Earth when her real place was on Lexicon?

The two dancers twirled on without noticing WordGirl's contemplation.

Why should she go back? What good could she be? There was no way she could be 'Becky' for everyone; she was 'WordGirl.' This is where misfits like her found a place. . .

The song came to an end. A new one started. WordGirl knew this song too; "There's Always Something There To Remind Me."

"Ain't that the truth." Zephyr said placing a dizzy Tyesha on the ground.

WordGirl thought about those words, and Zephyr's response to it. . . He wasn't happy here. He was away from Lexicon true, but it wasn't Lexicon that he wanted to go 'home' to. He wasn't singing and dancing to Lexiconian folk music, or filling his house with Lexicon's finery, he was thrilled to surround himself with Earth. Despite his comments earlier about giving up stuff, it was clear now that he hadn't given up a thing; he gained it.

"Zephyr?" WordGirl rose from the couch and stopped the man's dance. "Why did you want me?" She had to know . . . was he happy with the decision to leave both Earth and Lexicon?

Zephyr looked down at WordGirl.

The music loudly played on in the background.

Tyesha stood quietly off to the side, unsure of what to do. She never did question her boss on his decision to care for the princess. She never questioned him period.

" . . ." Zephyr walked to the record player and lowered its volume. He looked back to the girl with a deep sigh. WordGirl could see he was chew over whether or not to tell the truth. She wasn't certain if this was a good sign, but it at least showed he wasn't comfortable with lying. "I received word from the queen that a very important Lexiconian was coming and that she was in need of guardianship, so I offered to take care of you since I have the resources to do so."

"That's not true is it?" WordGirl sounded dispirited.

"It's the facts . . ."

"But not the truth." WordGirl felt a bit of her bitterness returning. If he was just doing his job like Nona was, he wouldn't have made such effort to make her feel at home. He would have forced her to learn Lexicon's history the first day and demanded she live with all of Lexicon's technology; not a record player. Zephyr was constantly saying one thing and living another. "The queen could have taken me, so why did you?"

"It's like I said," Zephyr lowered his eyebrows. "I was told to by the queen; I wasn't going to refuse her."

"So, you're just doing this because someone told you to?" WordGirl was hurt by this bit of knowledge; she quickly became angry. "I'm here just to give you perks with the queen, right? You don't care about me or Earth do you ?"

"That's not true . . ."

"What is anymore." WordGirl left the room for her own bedroom. She didn't know exactly what had set herself off, but just the thought of another betrayal was too much right now. She didn't need Zephyr to understand her, and she understood he had troubles of his own; what she wanted was for someone to be real with her. . .

Becky shut the door to the bed room, locking it regardless of the fact that no one had followed her.

To be real with her . . . funny. She hadn't been real with anyone in a long time, let alone herself. Becky climbed into the bed and sat on top of the covers. The sun had set and Becky could now see two moons rising outside her window. She found it odd to see two large rocks drifting by. One seemed closer than the other and it was bright enough to make the outside world look more like evening than night time.

. . . Who was she kidding? She didn't belong here. Or maybe she did, she didn't know.

Downstairs, Tyesha stepped up to stand next to her boss. He was still staring at the spot where WordGirl once was. He seemed in a trance of some kind; his mind clearly elsewhere.

"Zephyr?" Tyesha reached up and touched his hand. The man blinked a few times before looking down to his assistant.

"Why'd I think I could so this?" Zephyr sincerely sounded in doubt. Tyesha was uncertain of what he meant by the comment, but held her peace, waiting for him to continue. He never did.

Zephyr left the sitting room for his own chambers, leaving Tyesha alone. Tyesha glanced around the room, running the events of the conversation thru her head. Why was WordGirl so upset? And why did Zephyr say those things? The way Tyesha remembered it, Zephyr had volunteered to watch WordGirl. The moment he found out about the matter he was petitioning the queen and doing his best to hire a skilled Storia teacher of Lexiconian affairs; what had happened? Why'd he lie?

Tyesha didn't want to confront her boss, but maybe the princess would be open to speaking with her. Tyesha climbed the stairs to the princess' room and knocked gently on the door. No answer.

"Princess WordGirl," she knocked again. Still no answer. "May I come in?" Tyesha tried the handle, locked. The monkey sighed, but didn't feel like giving up just yet. She made her way down the stairs to the kitchen. There Zephyr had spare keys to the rooms of the house; being in the bad habit of locking himself out of these Earth doors. Tyesha grabbed the key to WordGirl's room and proceeded to the door. Tyesha opened the door only a crack so she could peek in. "Princess?"

What Tyesha saw, or rather didn't see, sent her running down the hall to Zephyr's room. She banged on the door calling for her boss to come out to her; but her patience wore thin. Tyesha opened the door without her boss' consent.

"Zephyr the princess is gone "

"What " The man had been sitting in his bed thumbing thru a book, but quickly shoved the book into the night stand drawer. "How? Where ?" Zephyr jumped out of the bed and was out the door. He went screaming down the hall for Miena to come from wherever she was to help search.

Tyesha just stood in the room a moment longer. She knew what the princess had done. The window was open so it was easy to tell she had escaped. Tyesha could only hope that WordGirl would be okay.

"Tyesha, get out here "

Tyesha quickly ran to follow Zephyr's order. He was standing at the front door with Miena, both were holding the communication devices. Miena was waving thru serval maps of the city they were in while Zephyr tried to do the same. Tyesha touched her boss' leg to get his attention.

"Here," Zephyr handed the device to the monkey. "I can't locate her in the city. You and Miena need to get out there and search for her." Zephyr shoved the two females out the door and into the garden. "My guess is she's trying to get back to Earth."

"She'd stop off at the council hall first," Miena hastened across the bridge.

"Why, that wouldn't make any sense?" Zephyr and Tyesha both looked confused by Miena's words, but didn't stop to question her. The group got to the gate.

"Trust me, we should start our search there." Miena stepped out into the street and began trying to hail a passing carriage much like a taxi. Tyesha looked back to her boss.

"We'll look everywhere for her sir. I promise." She quickly ran out to join Miena, sending one last glance back to see the distressed face of a usually composed man.

Zephyr watched as the two left. His heart sank deep within him.

"How could I have let this happen? What was I thinking?" Zephyr shut the gate and leaned against it. It was a humid night and the air clung to his skin in hot breathes. "What if she is caught, or discovered . . ." He didn't want to imagine the possibilities, so he began pacing. He crossed the bridge back to the house and then walked down to the pond. He walked and walk, and with every step his anxiety grew. Not only could WordGirl be hurt by the un-familiarities that surrounded her, she was going against High Law by leaving the Lexiconian grounds she was designated to. Zephyr shivered at the thought of the Queen finding the princess before his house-mates. "Why is she doing this?"

The man kicked a small stone into the pond and watched the waves dance in the moonlight. It aggravated him.

"I should be out there looking," Zephyr sent his gaze up to the sky. The moons were passing slowly and the stars were faintly twinkling as always, but no sign of the flying wonder. There was no way of knowing how far she might have gotten. What if she did go back to the queen? Or worse, what if Adler somehow found Thesauria? "He'd kill her if he found her." Zephyr's breathing started to speed up. His mind was running thru every worse-case-scenario it could think of. What started as a search effort was turning into a murder case. His mind just wouldn't let the possibilities rest.

"It's like it's happening all over again, only to her," Zephyr panicked from his thoughts; those memories. "This is all my fault I shouldn't have done this to her." Zephyr could scarcely control his outbursts as he practically bore a walking path with his pacing. "I never considered WordGirl's feelings in all this. What about Earth, what about, her; I'm such a jerk."

Ironically enough, WordGirl was watching the whole scene play out from the roof of the house. She had never intended to run away, she had already made her resolve on that issue and at no time did it sound like a clever move, but she had come outside to clear her head a bit and reflect on her past. . . she hadn't expected them to respond like this. Perhaps she needed to reveal herself to Zephyr and spear him the agony. WordGirl began to lower herself behind the man.

Zephyr had slouched down on a short rock wall structured around the pond. He lowered his head and heaved out a sigh of mixed emotions; the most emotions WordGirl had seen the man have that day, which was saying a lot about him.

"No, I'm a coward," the man never heard the girl landing behind him. "I should have taken care of Adler when I had the chance."

The words stopped WordGirl. He . . . and Adler . . . WordGirl wasn't sure what to think upon hearing this information. WordGirl wasn't certain in this moment if she had gasped or maybe stepped back onto some twigs, but her presence was somehow made know to Zephyr and he turned to face her.


	31. Erase

Disclaimer: I don't own WordGirl. This is a fanfiction and not a reflection of the shows creators or producers.

A/N: Hope you enjoy the chapter. This one was hard to work thru. I've changed things hundreds of times to get it right, but I think it's pretty good now. Warning though, if you don't like cliffhangers you probably shouldn't read this chapter until the next one is posted.

* * *

"Okay, run thru it a bit slower this time." The police commissioner sipped his coffee as Claire and the three children tried to explain the situation again. They had been trying to convince the police that they had located the real kidnapper and the police were wasting their time looking for Two-Brains.

"Adler's the man who kidnaped kids, not Two-Brains." Claire started. Her fear for her son was increasing by the minute, yet remaining calm was the only option she had at the moment. It was hard for her to think that her only son was being pursued by someone as dangerous as Alder; even worse was her search party consisted of a villainous mouse and a pint-sized sidekick monkey.

"And he's extremely dangerous, he has weapons." Violet leaned over the desk of the commissioner. Her nerves were almost shot. She couldn't stand the thought of her best friend fighting Adler alone, but there was nothing she could do for WordGirl now. Before Violet had time to make another comment TJ pushed her out of the way.

"He plans on hurting WordGirl and I think he has my sister somewhere. We know where he is but you have to hurry!" He knew he was responsible for a lot of the mess-ups that night, but now wasn't the time to play the blame game. Becky needed him, and WordGirl couldn't be counted on. Adler might just be too much.

"He's in one of the houses around the lake," Todd came up to the desk. "He only has one accomplice so we could get him if we move now. We can point him out to you."

The police commissioner scratched his chin as he thought about the words of the people before him. He opened his mouth about to respond . . . however chose to take another sip of his coffee instead. He then cleared his throat, for yet another sip.

"Well," TJ asked impatiently as the officer set his mug down.

"So, what you're saying is that Adler is really the one to blame for the kidnapings and the recent disappearance of WordGirl. That he is the one to harbor possession of guns and he maybe on his way to destroy the world?"

"We, never said anything about the world," Todd shrugged. "But the rest is right."

"Look boy, if these aliens want world domination, then they're just going to have to wait. I have some missing persons I need to find first." The entire tattered group was shocked as the commissioner took a large gulp of coffee. "Odds are they're helping to build the cheese mines. Crazy aliens." The commissioner then called to one of the other officers in the station. "Hey, I need some pictures of those missing kids."

The officer ran in with several photos and handed them to her boss. She then did a double take on the small group at the desk.

"Oh my," the officer came around the desk and to look the kids over. "These are the children from the photos!"

"No, stop," The commissioner rose from his desk and looked at the group.

"Look sir. I'm the missing kid," the whole situation was becoming a bit too frustrating for Todd. He grabbed up the photo of himself and held it up to his face. "I'm right here, you don't need to look for me anymore; we have to stop Adler . . ."

"Wait, you're Todd Ming?"

"Yes."

The commissioner glared down at the boy, then the picture, then the boy. He scratched his chin again as if reading over philosophical text.

"No. This boy in the picture is wearing a hat," the commissioner straightened up. "I'm not falling for some alien trick."

The police officer shared a sympathetic look with the group as they began to complain to her boss. She then walked over to the coat rack and searched for a hat similar to Todd's old one. Bingo. She placed the hat down on the boy's head; the commissioner's eyes lit up.

"By Jove, it's the missing boy!"

Sighs rose from the group as they, once again, had to explain the whole Adler situation. At least now they would be getting some help, and soon be reunited with their families. Well, almost all. TJ was still upset that he was being forced to repeat this story over and over again. His sister was in great danger and nobody seemed to care. He hated this helplessness. If only there was a way to locate WordGirl.

"I bet she's almost busted Adler by now," TJ spoke to himself as the group around him continued to debate facts. "I just wish I could see her." The young boy came up to the stations window and looked out to the sky. There were no streaks of light, no 'Word Up' to be heard. It was almost as if WordGirl wasn't even in the city anymore. But why would she leave at a time like this; didn't she care?

TJ closed his eyes as he felt them water. He wanted so much for this to change. He loved his sister, and this wasn't . . . why was it like this? Becky never did anything to this Adler guy, and neither did WordGirl. What was he after? TJ took a deep breath and opened his eyes. . . Standing outside . . .what couldn't be reasoned away, wished away . . . was the very source of TJ's anguish. Adler waved to the boy in the window before causally making his way to the police station doors. . . this couldn't be good.

o.

"Princess!" Zephyr closed the gap between himself and WordGirl with little hesitation. He dropped to the girl's level and hugged her for several long moments. WordGirl was still too put off to speak, so he spoke up first. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

" . . . for, what?"

"I wasn't forced to bring you here, I chose to, but not for the right reasons. I didn't mean to lie . . . Oh WordGirl, you must be horribly worried about your family."

WordGirl was shocked by this. No one since her arrival on this planet had mentioned her family in such a way. But that, didn't really matter, what about Alder?

"We did this to you; you don't want this, do you?" Zephyr must have worked himself into quite a frenzy. Even though it was dark out, the redness of the man's eyes were visible. "We shouldn't have let this happen to you. I shouldn't have . . . We need to hurry."

Zephyr got to his feet and grabbed WordGirl's arm. He pulled her along quickly to the house. WordGirl was still stunned; what was going on here?

"What are you doing?" She pulled her hand away from his grip.

"I'm going to send you home." Zephyr said clearly, shutting the door behind his guest.

"Wait, why? You people need me here to be princess, why would you send me back?"

"Ha, _they_ want you to be princess. Those silly Lexiconians," Zephyr began shutting the curtains on the windows as WordGirl just stared on in confusion.

"What about Adler? You said you should have-"

"There were a lot of things I should have done, but I didn't. I'm not adding you to my list," the curtains were closed. "You need to get home and stop that man once and for all. You need to help save Earth, and keep all this madness away from it."

Zephyr smiled mischievously as he stood in the middle of his foyer. He clapped his hands twice which seemed to activate a tile of the floor. The tile dissipated as a code panel lifted from the ground.

"You have to promise never to tell Tyesha or Miena about this; I think they'd flip." He laughed as he began typing.

"I'm, really not sure what you're doing," WordGirl watched as the walls to the room began to change colors, screens began to emerge from the floor much like the panel had as lights in the foyer dimmed to allow holographic images to be seen. "But this is really contradictory to what you've been putting me thru." Earth appeared on some screens as did the loading docks of Thesauria.

"I think I can locate your ship," Zephyr waved his hands thru images as he searched. "Once you get back you can't dally at all, get to Adler and stop him."

"What is all this?" WordGirl stepped closer to see what the man was doing. She had no idea . . . how could she . . .

"This is some of the best technology Britannica has to offer. With their control over planets like Storia, we can use their technology to tap into any parts of history, science; whatever you want."

"Why are you doing this? I don't belong on Earth, I'm supposed to be the princess of Lexicon, remember?"

"Do you honestly believe that?" Zephyr quit his search and looked down at the young heroine.

"Well," did she? "I've failed at being a hero for Earth. I let Adler attack the city and hurt some of my dearest friends. I'm from Lexicon, so it's best I go there, isn't it?"

"And you're just going to let Alder ruin Earth then, huh?" Zephyr sounded cross.

"No, Gramma, mommy, whatever her name is, she said she was going to take care of it. To be honest, I don't understand what you're doing?"

"The Queen of Thesauria told you that," Zephyr bent down to WordGirl's level. "She said she was going to take care of Adler for you?" There seemed to be panic in his voice, but he quickly concealed it.

"Yes."

Zephyr turned back to the screen.

"Computer, contact Grammy." The computer did as commanded.

WordGirl tried to think thru this. Here Zephyr was trying to send her home . . ? He was one of the most admit to keep her here, but now he wanted her home. It wasn't like she didn't want to go home, there was such a large part of her that longed for the comforts of Earth, but she didn't belong there; nobody out here believed she did. She couldn't stop Adler, it was better that the queen took care of it. Besides, didn't Lexicon need its ruler back? Everything Zephyr was doing now just, didn't make sense. He was going against High Law by doing this, was he not?

The screen flickered to life with the image of the queen staring coldly at Zephyr.

"How dare you call me like this," the queens eyes droped to WordGirl's confused ones before looking back to the man. "And in front of the princess no less. She is not to utilize Britannican . . ."

"Save it," Zephyr interjected, and quite rudely. "Adler; what are you doing about him?"

The queen looked surprised by Zephyr's words. WordGirl almost couldn't believe that this exiled Lexiconian had the nerve to speak to the queen like that.

"How do you, know. . ? I've alerted Far Side Authorities. They will handle him."

"Far Side?" Zephyr looked troubled by the words; WordGirl didn't know what it was, but she didn't like the route of this discussion. "You know as well as I do he's doing a whole lot more than just looking for the princess," his tone carried a certain acidity to it that caught both the queen and the princess off guard. "He'd be out _here_ if that were his only goal."

"Far Side is trained in handling this kind of danger . . ."

"No Grammy, they're not! WordGirl's city already knows about her, Far Side's going to see that city as a threat to High Law!"

"That's, a risk we have to take." The queen diverted her eyes.

"No, it's not! There are other people who matter down there, and you don't even care! We can't leave this to Far Side . . ."

"Shut-Up!" The elderly woman silenced Zephyr; WordGirl just glanced to her guardian and back up to the screen. "Everything is taken care of; you must trust me in that. Adler will be dealt with; besides, WordGirl's presence would have been told to Far Side by the University of Sociological Studies anyway. The fate of the city would have come about eventually."

"What does she mean?" WordGirl came beside Zephyr. "What's the city's fate?"

The queen tried to speak but Zephyr answered faster than the older woman could anticipate.

"They'll erase your city. Because they know about us, because they know you, they'll erase it. And since you're not there, Far Side doesn't have to feel bad about it."

"Don't tell her that!" The queen nearly choked on her words as she tried in vain to mask the man's words. "Hush!"

"You see WordGirl," Zephyr continued. "I brought you here to help restore Lexicon because I thought, maybe I could stop this war if I raised you right. I wanted, a second chance to fix what I messed up for Earth, I wanted to fix my life. . ."

"Silence!"

". . . But that was selfish. I shouldn't have agreed to take you away from Earth. It needs you. We were stupid, this is our war and you've got to get out of it. High Law is stupid, Lexicon is stupid, all of this is stupid. And I'm Sending Her Back!" Zephyr screamed up at the screen to quiet the cries of the queen.

WordGirl's heart was still pounding at the thought of the city being erased.

"Do you Hear me!" Zephyr screamed again, breathing heavily as he did so. Then, he paused. It seemed he was thinking about something and the pieces were finally fitting together. " You know he's found out, don't you? That's why he's not coming here. . . You've got to stop him some other way, because if Far Side sees that the city knows about WordGirl then, they'll erase it."

"Mr. Comte's school already knew the city had discovered WordGirl. For, whatever reason they have chosen to become a Britannican state, and they've shared that information with them. If you send WordGirl back Britannica will defiantly have it erased; we might as well do it while we have control . . ."

"No, you want to do it while we have WordGirl; What about my . . ."

"Don't go there! I'm telling you to trust me because I have it under control!"

WordGirl couldn't understand everything that was passing between the two adults, but things were becoming clear. This war was to blame, and yet Zephyr was right; it wasn't her war to fight. The war had made Adler bitter and had killed many people including her real family, and was now affecting Earth. Her place wasn't out here, she needed to keep this from her home. Adler was going to bring all of this mess to the people she loved most, and there was no way she was going to let that happen. Maybe WordGirl had made her mistakes in the past; she wasn't honest all the time, her family had to deal with the backlash of having a superhero as a member, and her friends had to pay for her absences as well; but at the end of the day, this wasn't her fault and she could only control the present. She had to get back to Earth.

"I'm going back your highness," WordGirl looked the old woman in the eye. "I'm going to save Earth, my home planet, and I'll fight all of Lexicon and Britannica if I have to."

The queen couldn't find an answer. WordGirl knew she was about to head back to a war all her own. She had never met Adler but she was going to take care of that threat and, maybe if Zephyr was willing to help, she could deal with Far Side as well; whatever that was. Suddenly, something else popped up in her head,

"And I'm taking Tobey home too."

"Tobey?" Zephyr's face took on a look of astonishment as he looked back up at the queen. WordGirl knew she was told never to mention Tobey here, but maybe the rules needed to be broken in order for the city to be saved. "He's . . . Tobey's here?"

"Y-yes," the queen seemed a bit uncomfortable. "I told you I had this under control, so it is foolish to send the princess home to . . ."

"And you weren't going to tell me." Zephyr and the queen were about to have another fight WordGirl wasn't sure she could understand. "What about his mom, you would let her get erased . . ?" Zephyr quickly cut the transmission and looked to WordGirl. "Are you ready?"

"I guess . . . I don't know what I'm going to do. This is getting nuts."

"Expect it to get only crazier." Zephyr began addressing the computer's again. "Locate the University of Sociological studies' files of Earth. Locate the hometown of WordGirl."

The computers did as instructed and WordGirl's city appeared on the screens. Zephyr ran his hands thru several images.

"I'm going to find Adler for you, and I'll locate your ship. Your first mission is going to have to be getting rid of him."

"No, I'm going to get Tobey," It was clear that Zephyr must have known of Tobey's importance, he couldn't mask that now if he tried. "Grammy isn't ever going to send him back, at least not now that she wants the city erased."

"You think I want to send him there?"

"I thought you weren't planning on my city getting erased." WordGirl spat.

"I don't, but . . . one can never be too careful," the man sighed dropping his head for a moment to compose a reply. "Fighting Adler isn't going to be too difficult for you, but beating Far Side will."

"I promise I will do both; Nothing else is going to happen to my friends."

Pause.

"Would you die for them?" Zephyr looked to the young superhero beside him; she gave a questioning look.

"Well, yeah . . ."

"No, you don't 'well yeah' to that kind of question. Would you die for them." There was no mask here. Zephyr was being as transparent as glass; his words bearing much weight to them and even heavier truth. He wasn't asking a question, WordGirl knew this; she was going to have to die for them. Lexicon, Britannica, Storia, Thesauria, they weren't going to leave Earth alone with her there. The princess of Lexicon wasn't a secret anymore, she was alive and she was going back to that city. As long as WordGirl was there, so would be the Lexiconian war. "Would you die?"

". . ." There was a lot to think about in that statement. If a week ago, as Becky tried to dodge out of a family vacation, someone would have told her she would be facing this situation, she wouldn't have believed them. She was just an average city superhero trying to find a way to balance her hero work with her school work. How funny life could be. Suddenly the troubles of Monday morning were the troubles she longed for.

"Maybe," Zephyr broke into her thoughts. "I need to rephrase that. Is WordGirl willing to die for them?"

"As a hero. . . I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

"What a very brave facade you wear," Zephyr bent once more to the girl's level. "I think you'd know what I meant if I said, 'It's time for that facade to fade.'"

"A facade is a deceptive outward appearance; how am I being deceptive if I'm actually brave?" WordGirl was indignant that he would make such a remark to her.

"Because I'm not dumb enough to believe your parents would name you WordGirl."

Becky smiled, he was making sense now.

"If you honestly believe it will save the city?"

"If Far Side sees the princess is dead, and the city can move on without her, there's no reason to erase a thing."

"Why don't you come with me and help?" WordGirl knew Zephyr had a love for Earth, why should he stay here when his home was there.

"Because," he sighed. "I ran away the first time when I should have dealt with things then. I've got to make it right. You have an obligation to Earth, and I have one here." He smiled weakly. "Now we've got to do all of this fast. Tyesha and Miena won't stay out forever and I'm sure Grammy will start watching Tobey. Hurry and get the boy; bring him here and I'll give you the locations. But please, Hurry."

What more permission did she need; WordGirl was out the door in an instant.

Once over the wall of the Lexiconian garden, WordGirl was completely lost. Every building looked the same and nothing was written in pure English. WordGirl kicked herself for not paying better attention when Nona was bringing her to the house. Oh well, she could regret her mistakes later. The council was a very large building, so maybe she could spot it from higher up.

Thesauria was very muggy after the rain. The heat of the day still gripped the air and made the roads smell of the concrete that paved them. It was disgusting to feel, and even harder to fly thru. WordGirl felt the night cling to the inside of her lungs making it hard to excerpt great energy. Regardless she continued on.. . . OW! WordGirl unexpectedly smacked into, what appeared to be, a glass dome, over the entire city? Wait.

"How can it rain if there's a dome over the city?"

WordGirl knocked on the surface of the dome. Unlike the window in the council building it looked and felt like glass, and it was very thick. WordGirl just hovered near the glass watching her reflection take on an inquisitive look. She couldn't get any higher if she didn't get on the other side, but it would be impossible for her to break it. There was probably a rather important reason Thesauria put it there and it could spell disaster for the people below if she just busted thru it.

WordGirl looked over to one of the moons; the glass amplified their size. She heaved a sigh and could only hope Zephyr was calculating the dome into her escape plan. WordGirl began looking over the city. The only lights still on were in the windows of the late night shops. The city didn't shine like hers did. It was dull and quiet . . . maybe it was everyone's bedtime. WordGirl yawned at the thought; she hadn't gotten much sleep on this trip.

The heroine strained her eyes as she searched the landscape. She looked north, south, a little southeast . . . There! Poking just over the tops of some of the other buildings was what looked like the Victorian styled roof. WordGirl was there in a flash.

"Okay, think," WordGirl placed a hand to her chin. "I need to distract everyone so that I can get Tobey out without Grammy noticing. If Huggy were here I could just run plan 398. Hmm." WordGirl drifted closer to the window to assess the situation . . . funny. . .

WordGirl watched as the entire council hall ran thru the halls in complete pandemonium. Was this some kind of Britannican bedtime ritual? WordGirl's attention was drawn away from the halls as a light was emitted from the main entrance to the building. It appeared Tobey was way ahead of her on planning his own escape.

"Tobey?" WordGirl startled the boy as she came up beside him. "How'd you . . ."

"Gah! Don't sneak up on me! I mean," Tobey coughed off the embarrassment of his fear. "WordGirl, so nice of you to check up on me."

"Uh? Okay, we need to escape now. I've learned that your grandmother has no intention of sending you home . . ."

"I already know that," Tobey said, his tone dropping. "That's why I'm leaving on my own."

WordGirl frowned seeing that Tobey was upset about his grandmother lying to him, but now wasn't really the time to console him.

Bang! Both Tobey and WordGirl turned to see one of the council servants come running out of the house. He ran across the garden and out of the gate, the chaotic sounds of the council hall flowing out of the now opened door.

"What's going on in there Tobey?" WordGirl pointed a thumb in the direction of the noise.

"I built a few little robots," a mischievous smile crossed Tobey's features. "Nothing too serious, but enough to keep the old bat busy for a while."

"Tobey," WordGirl grabbed the boy up by his arms. "Sometimes I admire you."

"Naturally, my superior intellect is quite attractive."

"Eww, no, when I said I 'admire you,' I meant your ability to build robots is valuable; not that I think you're attractive."

"Yes, but it's a step closer is it not?"

"I thought you didn't like me anymore."

"No, just, upset over Becky . . . But I never liked you in the first place! I was just being . . . uh, gentleman like, that's all. . . just fly."

WordGirl shook her head at the boy's poor fabrication. She looked down to him ready to explain her and Zephyr's plan, but then she noticed Tobey's new attire.

"Are you wearing a skirt?" A broad smile formed on her face; a motion she was happy her face hadn't forgotten.

"It's Not A Skirt! You know it's a kilt; and I'll have you know it is the most fashionable thing on Britannica. So there." Tobey couldn't believe his grandmother wanted him to dress like this. In all the excitement of trying to escape he had totally forgotten to grab his old clothes, but that didn't matter right now. "We need to get out of here before grandma comes, so please, Get Flying!"

* * *

A/N: Tobey's skirt. He he


	32. Second to Last

Disclaimer: I don't own WordGirl. This is a fanfiction.

* * *

"Morning young man," Adler entered the station and looked down at TJ who was still gapping at him. "Might want to close that mouth of yours or you'll attract flies."

Adler's voice caught Todd's attention immediately. He turned quickly and stared at the man, a terror rising in him. The words to alert the others wouldn't come, they had gotten lost in the paralyzed body. Adler only smiled back as he pulled the now familiar Earth weapon from out of his coat pocket; probably back in working order.

"Sorry to interrupt," Adler made his presents know to the commissioner. The group all looked to him in shock as they saw the weapon. "But I think what I have to say will be a tad more important than anything these kids wish to share."

"By Jove," the commissioner rose from his desk as the officer took her place in front of the group and desk. "You _are_ the one."

"Great detective work," Adler reached over with his freehand and grabbed TJ by the arm. The young boy tried to struggle free, by then the weapon was turned in his direction to calm his rebuttal. "If you value this kid's life at all, I suggest you listen to what I have to say."

All save for Todd looked to the commissioner for an answer. The exception kept his eyes on Adler.

"Ple, please don't hurt the boy. I'll do whatever you want." The commissioner's pleas only made Adler more thrilled that leadership was so easy to subdue.

"Don't worry, you all will," Adler came a bit closer to the group. "If I'm not mistaken, I'm the only one with the power to take lives here." Adler could clearly see the officer didn't have a gun holster, and therefore no gun. He was in complete control, at least for now. "Who else is in this building? " Adler's demand frightened the man, so the commissioner was quick to obey.

"About seven officers are here now, nobody in the holding cells, some kittens, and a few parents of the missing kids."

"Don't tell him that " Claire reprimanded. She placed a harsh stare on the authority, wondering how this man had made it to such a place in law enforcement. It was clear to her that some else needed to take control of this situation, and it might as well be her. Claire began stepping behind the desk to-

Bang!

The whole group gasped as Claire sent her gaze to a hole made in the wall. The bullet had missed her by an inch, now embedded in the photo of the mayor hanging limply on the wall.

"Speak out of turn again," Adler grinned. "And that will be you. Got it?" It was clear he was having fun terrorizing them, the sound of the gun still ringing in their ears. Claire then realized to what extent of a danger Adler was. She placed a hand on her heaving chest; her fears pounding for Tobey's safety.

It was at this moment the other officers came running into the lobby. They froze when they saw the young boy at gun point. The group by the commissioner looked just as at a lost as they did; so nobody moved; waiting. Adler laughed shortly before capitalizing on the moment of fright.

"Good, the party's all here." Adler ordered the officers to empty all their supplies onto the commissioner's desk and then step back against the wall. He really only wanted the handcuffs, but he was happy to see them lay down their keys as well. Adler thrust TJ against the wall with the officers and ordered him to begin cuffing the officers together; never removing his aim from the young boy's head. "I'm amazed none of you know how to stop me," he joked while the cops were combined into one slow huddle of worthless defenders. "I bet WordGirl would have stopped me by now."

"And she will!" Violet couldn't hold back her outburst, tears beginning to travel to the floor.

"Oh, I do hope so." Adler didn't sound angry. He grabbed a hold of TJ again, thanking the boy for being such a 'good listener' before ordering the officers and commissioner to head back toward the cells; his intentions all too clear by this point.

It took little effort on Adler's part to lock the entire police force up in the holding cell. And being they were cuffed together, they probably couldn't easily pick the lock. Claire, Todd and Violet walk alongside the clumped officers as Adler instructed. He wanted to be able to see everyone at once, and threatened to end TJ's life at the slightest sign of noncompliance.

"Okay, now that that's done," Adler looked at the free group. "Scoops, it's been too long hasn't it?"

The boy didn't answer.

"Well don't worry about it. I'll make up for the time we lost."

"Don't talk to that child like that." Claire still found it too difficult to hold her tongue; though she mentally kicked herself for speaking up again. She knew she was risking a lot, but she couldn't help it.

"You're right," Adler kissed his teeth. "I've been acting just plain rude, haven't I?" He turned the gun toward the woman. "You and the other two kids; get in that cell over there."

He followed close behind them as they walked toward it. TJ deliberated whether to try and free himself; Adler might shoot his friends if he acted too rashly. Again helplessness seized the boy and he could do nothing more but follow orders and hope that WordGirl would pull though for him.

Adler locked Todd, Violet and Claire in the next open cell. The three looked to TJ with the deepest sympathy, but there was nothing that could be done for him. Adler had thought of everything . . . or at least thought of everything they would think of.

"Please Adler," at the sound of the commissioner's voice Adler pulled TJ to stand before the officer's cell. "Please let the children go, you have us."

Adler laughed in response. There was a thick air of fear hovering around the station; Adler the only one immune. The man pulled at TJ's arm as he headed toward the door leading out of the holding cells. TJ tried to look back to the others; what would Adler do with them? What was Adler going to do with him?

Adler reached for the handle of the door, but before he could open it, someone beat him to it. Adler drew TJ close as the door open to reveal the worried parents.

"We heard some noise and thought we'd come . . ." Mr. Botsford had lead the group back to the holding cells. The gun shots had concerned them, as could be expected, but the sight of TJ at gun point concerned Tim more. "TJ!" Tim didn't know what the weapon could do, but that mattered very little to him as he rushed to the aid of his son, oblivious to Adler's new target.

o.

Tobey heaved a sigh. It felt disgusting outside. He was sweating despite WordGirl doing all the work, and he was tired of flying in the humidity while the super girl tried to remember where to go. In the short time he had spent on this planet, he had learned to hate it.

The boy genius sent his gaze up to WordGirl. She looked very focused, as if her mind was playing out a dramatic battle taking place just beyond his sight. Tobey felt slightly ashamed in light of this; in light of her.

It took WordGirl several minutes, but she was able to relocate the Lexiconian house and land swiftly in the garden.

"We need to hurry," WordGirl began running over the bridge to the front door but stopped short when she noticed the boy wasn't following. "Tobey Come on "

He opened his mouth, then quickly closed it, opting instead to wave WordGirl back to himself.

"Come on Tobey, we don't have all night. . ."

"I'm sorry."

Wait, what? Did her ears deceive her or did Tobey just apologize?

"What did you say?"

Tobey paused for a second before speaking again.

"I'm. . . sorry for what I said earlier, about leaving you with Lexicon and all. And . . . and Becky too."

WordGirl dropped her sight on the ground.

"Really, it's okay Tobey, I didn't . . ."

"I guess I was just too focused on myself," the boy sniffed. "I didn't understand that, you were dealing with, all this. I guess I was expecting you to . . . I was Becky's friend, and I . . ." Tobey couldn't hold back the sobs.

WordGirl couldn't understand what had set him off so. She knew he missed Becky, but there was no way she could have meant that much to him. They weren't even friends . . . perhaps this was something else. WordGirl didn't interrupt Tobey's crying, it quickly subsided on its own. The boy wiped the tears from his checks and turned from WordGirl's sight. WordGirl remained quiet for only a moment more.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, like I'm telling you. . . Nothing's wrong let's get out of here." Tobey pushed WordGirl aside and began marching toward the door. If time would have permitted, WordGirl might have probed the boy further. But as it stood, there was no time to waste wondering Tobey's woes. Tobey wanted to apologize to her, and he had; over and done.

WordGirl felt a ping of guilt, however, for Tobey's sudden angst. He was hurting most likely because of Becky's disappearance. It hurt her to think that Todd was dead; it couldn't have been any easier for Tobey. Hopefully when they got home, Tobey could see that Becky was alright . . . hopefully she could have the same reassurance. WordGirl quickly shook off her remorse and ran ahead to the door.

WordGirl reach up for the bell rope, but Zephyr opened the door before she had a chance. The light from inside the house cast down on the two; the house bathing them in the coolness of its conditioning system. It was a welcomed relief from the muggy night air . . . now if only Zephyr would move so they could come in.

"I got Tobey, Zephyr, so we can go," WordGirl urged the adult to action, but he continued to stand there. WordGirl was a bit concerned. She remembered Grammy telling her not to mention Tobey to anyone for his safety, perhaps bring Tobey here was a mistake. As WordGirl's eyes adjusted to the light, Zephyr features became more noticeable. He was looking at Tobey with a, questionable look. WordGirl couldn't tell if he Zephyr was mad or just deep in thought. WordGirl could only guess that this was due to Tobey's bloodline. Hopefully Zephyr wasn't holding that against the boy. "Please Zephyr. We have to save the city." She urged the man.

"Right, right," Whatever was plague Zephyr removed itself long enough for the adult to stepped aside. "I have your, um, escape plan, on the computer."

The door was shut behind the two children as Zephyr made his way to the computer. WordGirl watched Tobey's eyes drift around the room. She couldn't help but wonder if Tobey's grandmother had hidden all the Britannican things from him as Zephyr had done for her. Her pondering would have to wait for the moment as Zephyr brought up a picture of the air dock she and Tobey had arrived at. WordGirl could see her ship; the way home.

WordGirl inwardly jumped with delight. So happy was she that she almost missed the frustrated look on the Zephyr's face. Zephyr seemed to be having trouble manipulating the holograms with his hand and thus had resulted to using a keyboard to try and place commands. WordGirl watched the shaking hands of the adult typing the keys. He looked entirely discomposed as he kept glancing over to Tobey and then back to his work. WordGirl couldn't understand it; here was the man that WordGirl, a superhero, had feared since her arrival, quaking at the mere sight of a scrawny boy; Tobey wore glasses for crying out loud. It was baffling how this man of great composure was so easily unsettled.

"Zephyr," WordGirl stepped closer to the man, Tobey didn't bother to follow. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, it's just . . ." Zephyr's whispers couldn't have gotten quieter, and yet he tried to lower his volume anyway. "This is a very, difficult moment for me."

"Look I know I wasn't suppose to bring Tobey here, but he didn't know about this stuff anymore than I did. He just wants to go home like me, please don't hold that against him just because he's from Britannica."

Zephyr put on a crooked smile, took a deep breath and focused on the screen. WordGirl couldn't have hoped for Zephyr to share his discomfort with her, but she was glad he was trying to get back to the task at hand. Though it was still a mystery to her why he had decided to send her home all of a sudden. Oh well, she was heading home!

"You're ship has been locked down at bay seven, it's not going to be too hard to get it or unhook it from the dock." Zephyr's words brought a little hope to the children. "However, getting the clearance needed to leave the planet will be a whole 'nother matter."

"You're talking about that dome over the city, aren't you?" WordGirl frowned. She could tell this was going to be a much harder process than Zephyr was making it sound.

"Yes, I am," Zephyr waved a hand thru the center image revealing a control tower of some kind; two teenagers working the tower. "Due to the planet's unstable atmosphere, the dome was set into place to help create a livable environment. Any interference with the dome will trigger the alarm in this tower. We'll be caught in no time if they find out."

"Can't we just knock them unconscious or something?" Tobey stepped in closer to see the problem Zephyr was explaining.

"As fun as that would be," Zephyr laughed a bit at the thought. "If we force our way out and damage the dome, we'll have knocked out the only two guys who can fix it. Not a good scenario for those of us left on Thesauria." Zephyr waved his hand through the image again, calling for the computer to bring up an image of the outside of the house.

To the trio's surprise, Meina, Tyesha and the carriage of the queen were pulling up.

"Blast it," Zephyr banged a fist down on the keyboard. "We have to get out of here now." He waved for the children to follow him as he made his way to the back of the house.

"But what are we going to do?" Tobey tailed after the man. "What's our plan!"

"We'll have to improv."

The house was inconveniently build close to the back fence. There was no gate to exit from the back of the garden, but with WordGirl's help it wouldn't matter. The heroine lifted the two males over the fence and placed them on the street behind the house.

"Come on this way," Zephyr ran to an ally across the street. "It's not going to take Tyesha long to remind them you can fly WordGirl, and Meina's going to head to the air dock anytime now."

"What are we going to do?" Tobey asked as Zephyr pushed him and WordGirl further into the darkness. "They're going to beat us to the ship."

"I could fly us there if you give me directions." WordGirl offered as the man sent a worried glance over his shoulders.

"That's perfect," Tobey beamed in response. "And I bet I could figure out the dome's opening system. You just get me in there and I'll work my magic."

"Yeah, and I'll have the ship ready for takeoff in no time; super speed is on the top of my superpowers list. What do you say Zephyr?"

"Shh or they'll hear you." The man's reprimand had taken the two unaware. Did he not approve of their plan?

"What's wrong with our idea, it's perfect," WordGirl couldn't help but get a bit angry. "You're going to mess up our escape if you waste any more time. Tell me how to get there."

"I can't, now quiet." Zephyr watched the back of the house waiting for someone to come looking for them.

"Why not, what's wrong with my idea. If we wait any longer . . ."

"I can't tell you how to get there because I don't know where it is. I hadn't fully read the maps before you got back."

"What do you mean," Tobey interjected. "You live here, don't you know your own city?"

"Shh," both Zephyr and WordGirl hushed the boy before the man answered. "This isn't my home planet; I'm here under house arrest. I haven't left that house since I was imprisoned there eight years ago."

"You mean, you've never left that house before?" The thought of someone being trapped inside their house for eight years was staggering to both youth.

"No, because of my crimes against . . . Lexicon, the queen only allowed me to live on the planet if I kept to this house." Zephyr lowered his head knowing that he was utterly useless to the children beside him.

WordGirl crossed her arms and leaned against one of the walls to think. There had to be a way, but the city was so strange to her and every building looked the same. It was a miracle she was even able to relocate Tobey. The whole city looked exactly the same! If only there was a way to read the signs.

"Can you read anything out here?" WordGirl glared to the unprepared adult.

"No, I only know English," Zephyr relaxed a bit when he realized no one was coming to look for them back here. "If I ever needed anything read to me I had one of my Thesaurian workers do it."

"So in other words," Tobey spat. "We're stuck on a planet none of us know how to communicate on, with no idea where to go, with a man who is a prisoner in his own home and my grandmother about to call the entire royal guard out to look for us; yeah things are sure looking better!"

Communicate? Listening to Tobey's rant gave WordGirl an idea.

"Wait a minute," WordGirl came between the two males and pulled out the communication device Nona had given her. "Maybe we could use this to help us."

"Perfect!" Zephyr snatched the device from WordGirl's hand; receiving a glare in return. "We can use this to look up maps; assuming the red flag hasn't been sent yet. Who'd you get this from?"

"Nona," WordGirl answered softly. "She told me to call her on it if I needed her, but if you can use it to get us home . . ."

"Don't worry, I'm on it," Zephyr activated the device and began waving through the images. "Being that Nona is the owner of this thing, she'll be altered of its use. Odds are she'll try calling you in a few minutes WordGirl, so be ready to lie if need be." Soon the schematics for the city were up and the small group was off.

Zephyr held Tobey while WordGirl held onto the man's shirt. It wasn't a very comfortable ride for the group, but it had gotten them to the air dock before Grammy Sweet Mum Mums and her associates. WordGirl landed next to her ship at dock seven. It was strange standing on the platform. The ship was set up on its backside, aiming it up toward a visible door in the dome. Zephyr watched the preoccupied faces of the children for just a moment more before looking around for the tower.

"Up there," the man's voice drew the two children's attention to the tower at the opposite end of the dock. "We have to get there and send clearance for the door to open. Once that's done we'll have to get you two out into space on a set course."

"Hmm," Tobey wasn't too thrilled with the idea of being way down there when the ship was taking off here. If he went to work on the tower controls, it would be cutting it almost too close to try and get back to the ship. Even with WordGirl's help, there was no way she could keep the ship on course if she was flying back to grab him. "Zeff, Zell, whatever your name is; if I set up the controls do you think you could manage them while we lift off?"

Zephyr smirked down at the boy.

"I'll have you know I'm an expert when it comes to computers. I'm certain I could figure the whole thing out myself . . ."

"I don't think you'll find that essential," a voice caused the group to turn in alarm; startling WordGirl into taking a defensive pose in front of her two companions. But fear quickly vanished when they saw the speaker; it was Nona. "Hiya, I was running some last minute checks over the ship when I was paged about my communicator being used. Good thing I waited around."

Even though Nona had never intestinally hurt WordGirl or Tobey, both children glared at the woman and remained on their guard. Her being there might just ruin any hope of their return.

"I figured you'd try to come back to the ship WordGirl, but Zephyr . . . what are you doing here?"

Zephyr bit his lower lip, no good enough excuse crossing his mind at the moment.

"Well I guess I'm standing on the precipice of a moral decision, aren't I?" Nona crossed her arms and waited for the three to scrap together a reason for their being there . . . but an explanation really wasn't needed.

"I guess honesty would be the best policy," Nona dropped her arms and looked back to the ship. "The queen ordered I be here, she said that the royal children were planning to runaway. So I'm guessing that's what this is." Nona stepped closer to the group but halted at Tobey's words.

"We're going home Nona. No amount of Lexinite is stopping us. I'm getting home."

The woman moved her gaze to the man standing behind the children. His gaze was still removed from hers as if dreaming about something . . . or reliving it.

"Tobey," Nona slowly looked back to the children. "I really don't want to have to take you two away from Mother Earth, but this is what's best for you. . ."

"What, being taken away from my mother to live on some planet that's just one political mistake away from being blown to bits!"

Nona gasped at Tobey's response. The boy realized that he had struck a chord in the adult and so continued.

"You know this planet isn't the best thing for these kids. They should be with their families. The dumb war you aliens are so mad over is eventually going to come here too. So if I have to be involved in war, at least let me fight for the planet I call home."

WordGirl nodded in agreement. Nona seemed confused.

"Please Nona," WordGirl urged. "You said you were just doing your job earlier which is to keep kids out of this war; well now you did it and Adler's still hurting my friends. So please fix it now. If you don't, lots more kids on Earth are going to be brought into this." WordGirl thrust her hand back toward the adultness city, where kids were thieving to make a living and loneliness was among a host of problems.

WordGirl knew she was guilt tripping the woman, but if it got her home . . . WordGirl just had to get home; no matter the cost when she got there.

"Please."

"I can't." Nona clenched her fists.

"Why not?" Tobey could hardly keep his temper in check.

"Because I'd . . ."

"Be committing treason," Zephyr finished the statement for the woman. "And capital punishment isn't what you're hoping for in a future, is it?"

Nona sighed. She lowered her head.

"I became a CRA thinking I'd be making a difference, but every child I've brought here . . . their faces haunt me. I never liked ripping families apart but . . ."

"You're told 'there's no other way;' that 'Lexicon and Britannica will never stop fighting so do what you can to rescue innocents.'" Zephyr smiled sadly at the thought; the other's around him could tell this was a personal experience for him.

"How do you know?" Nona finally asked. Tobey and WordGirl looked to the man. He was thinking deeply on how to answer, but then shook his head.

"Look, there isn't time to reminisce. We respect that you're Thesaurian and that you can't go against the queen, but . . ." Sigh. "I promise I'll get you out of it." Nona gave the man a skeptical look; one read as trying to see his bluff. "I swear upon the Enkyklios Paideia you will be acquitted of any crime against queen or planet."

Nona's eyes grew wide as if she had seen a ghost. Tobey looked to WordGirl who only shrugged back at him. She had no idea what that was about, but it looked like Nona was convinced by it.

"You kids hurry into the ship. I'll head to the tower and get you the clearance you need." Nona began running down the dock until WordGirl called back to her.

"How are we suppose to unlock the ship from the dock!"

"I think the pilot of the ship should be able to help you with that!" Nona waved as she went running again.

WordGirl thought about the words for a moment, and then it hit her. Huggy! Captain HuggyFace must be on the ship! Oh what a relief to know she wouldn't have to leave her best friend behind.

"Come on!" WordGirl flew several feet off the ground. "What are we waiting for!"

"For you to stop flapping your gums," Tobey frowned and pointed back down the dock. "Look."

Marching up the dock were some thirty, maybe forty men. Most looked to be still teenagers, but they all looked capable of handling their own in battle. WordGirl immediately took concern for her companions.

"Tobey," she called flying over to the ship and opening the futuristic door. "Get inside and order Huggy to get the ship ready for takeoff."

"But . . ."

"Do It!" WordGirl didn't allow the boy to protest. Tobey was picked up and tossed into the ship before he could voice his concerns. WordGirl then looked back to Zephyr. "Please come with us."

"I already told you . . ."

"I-know-I-know, but you said it yourself. You've broken the law by leaving your house. There's no way Grammy isn't going to punish you for that."

"She couldn't do it when I was five, I'm certain she couldn't do it now."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Get in that ship, I have to take care of Nona like I promised. I'll be fine. Adler isn't going to let up until you stop him; he's at the police station." Zephyr smiled warmly at the girl before adding. "And take care of Tobey. If anyone finds out about him . . .I don't even want to think about it. I wish there was more I could do for both of you, but I'm certain I can trust you in God's hands, now go!" Zephyr smiled brightly as he tossed the communication device back to WordGirl and took off down the dock in pursuit of Nona.

WordGirl couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever see those two again . . . later! She could worry about that later. WordGirl entered her ship and the door closed behind her. In a matter of seconds the Thesaurian army would be at her door . . . WordGirl then thought back over her stay in space. Zephyr and Nona were able to simply bark out commands and the technology did all in its power to follow. Hmm . . .

"Uh, ship? I command you to, put up a shield or something to keep the army from attacking us." As soon as WordGirl stopped speaking the walls to her ship began to hum. WordGirl couldn't see what was happening outside at the moment, but the fact that the door remained closed was proof enough her plan had worked. WordGirl then made her way back to the computer room.

It seemed strange. Usually she felt so at home in her hideout, but now it only reminded her of how far away from home she really was. But that didn't matter; stopping Adler was what she needed to keep her mind on, that and getting off this planet. Why hadn't Huggy started up the ship yet?

WordGirl entered the computer room to find that Tobey was auguring with Huggy at the controls. The monkey hadn't even lifted the controls up to the ships cab yet; why were they goofing off when time was running out? WordGirl had the mind to stomp over there and chew both of them out, but then her foot struck a familiar object.

"Look monkey," Tobey tried to grab the controls from the pilot. "If you want to be a traitor to Earth, that's your business, but let us go home!"

"I have my orders from the queen that you two are to stay here. This is what's best!" Huggy pulled back on the controller. "You'll just end up lost anyway!"

"At least I can say I'm not a back-stabbing, Thesauria hugging, time wasting, banana loving . . !"

"Hey, I don't talk about your favorite foods like that!"

The controls were quickly released as Todd's hat was dropped between the two fighters. WordGirl stood motionless for a second and received the full attention of both boy and monkey. They all knew the intensity of this moment, understanding WordGirl's distress for the hat's owner. End even Tobey was hit with the fear that Becky might have befallen the same fate.

"We're not losing anybody else Huggy."

Pause.

The ship suddenly lunged forward. The three occupants were all knocked to the floor. Huggy was the first to climb back up into his seat, Tobey and WordGirl had to untangle themselves first.

"Get off of me Tobey!" WordGirl pushed the boy off her middle and hovered up over him and the monkey. "What's happening Huggy?"

"The computer reads an attack on the ship's force field."

Tobey rose from the floor slightly dizzy from his fall. He looked up to the screen as Huggy changed the view to the soldiers outside. The men were shooting at the ship with what appeared to be ray guns.

"We should probably, I don't know, leave now!"

"Okay," Huggy sighed, much to the children's delight that he wasn't going to fight them again. "Buckle up."

There were only two seats in front of the master computers to which Huggy had one. WordGirl motioned for Tobey to take the seat as she grabbed hold of the back of Huggy's. Tobey followed her instructions and strapped himself in. The captain began flipping switches and soon the plat form the computer rested on began to rise. Soon the three were hoisted up to the windshield of the ship. They could see out to the dome's door, unfortunately it was still shut.

"What's taking that woman so long?" Tobey growled.

"Does he mean Nona?" Huggy looked to WordGirl.

"Nona went to open the door for us," WordGirl could see the monkey's sadder disposition. "Zephyr's helping her though, so she'll be okay." WordGirl didn't know to what extent Huggy considered Nona a friend. WordGirl knew that her monkey sidekick had worked with Nona long before he met her, and that Huggy probably felt a bit of loyalty to the woman. This thought made WordGirl feel ill; not in that she wished Huggy never made friends outside of her, but that Huggy might possibly love Lexicon, Thesauria and Nona more than her. . .

"Hey! The door!" Tobey's cheers brought WordGirl out of her thoughts. "It's opening!" Indeed it was, slowly.

"Well it better hurry," Huggy pressed a few more buttons. The windshield became like a computer screen; faint enough to be seen thru, but data and other images were still visible. "The queen is ordering her men into ships!"

This couldn't be good. WordGirl wasn't certain what her ship could and couldn't do, but one thing was for sure: if those ships attacked hers, theirs would win.

"Huggy, go for it!" WordGirl pointed dramatically at the door.

"The openings too small, we're not gonna fit?"

"With any luck they won't fit," WordGirl glared at the screen. "Just go for it. Nona will shut it once we're out and they won't be able to follow us. But if you wait, they'll come out too."

Huggy hated this, he didn't want to do this . . . but what the heck, you only live once. The Lexiconian ship pulled forward, breaking loose of the dock. Huggy did his best to hold the ship steady. His fears that the door wouldn't open enough in time quickly becoming true. The ship was speeding up, but the door just wasn't opening fast enough.

"Come on . . ." WordGirl spoke as if the door would hear and comply.

Everyone in the cab held their breath, in fact it felt as if there was no air left in the cab at all. The moment came and it was perfectly clear that the ship couldn't pass it. Huggy released the controls to cover his eyes while WordGirl nearly torn the chair from its foundation in her dread.

Tobey wasted no time in grabbing the abandoned steering controls and tilted the ship to its side. Regardless of his efforts, the ship's top and bottom could be heard scrapping against the unopened door. That noise was the most horrible thing the trio had ever hear. All three occupants were jerked around violently as the ship's alarms began to sound. They had made it out of the dome, but there was no telling if their ship had survived the impact.

"That always worked in movies." Tobey corrected his glasses and looked to the screen.

"Well, we're not in a movie are we?" Huggy glared at the boy as he tried to situate himself more comfortably in the chair. He had almost slipped out of the safety belt and up into the glass.

"No, It's worse," WordGirl groaned. "It feels like we're in a fanfiction; one of TJ's too." WordGirl wished she would have been seated; it felt like she had hit her head on something during the collision. "Is anyone following us?"

"I don't think so," Huggy breathed. "I think Nona would have shut the door."

"Why is the alarm going off? Give me a damage report."

"Well, the powers still on so . . ."

The ship suddenly plunged into darkness and silence; the engines shutting off.

"Great, now we're sitting ducks." WordGirl lightly smacked her forehead. "This was such a stupid idea, what was I thinking?"

"You can beat yourself up later," Tobey heaved a sigh. "What are we going to do? They'll have that door open in no time if we keep sitting here."

WordGirl didn't respond to Tobey. What could be done? They had to get back to Earth; she couldn't allow all of this to take her away from Earth, the Botsfords, the city. No, nothing, Nothing was going to stop her. She was WordGirl, but before that she was Becky and she had an obligation to her city.

"Tobey?" WordGirl tried to face the boy, but she couldn't be too sure of his position in the darkness. "Do you think you can fix the ship?"

"In this lighting? I can't see my hand in front of my face let alone the inner workings of a spaceship."

"We don't have time for your sarcasm Tobey; if I get you a flashlight or something, can you fix it?"

"He has to," Huggy interjected, a hint of fear in his voice. "Without power the ship won't create oxygen."

Both youth swallowed hard at the thought. WordGirl knew she'd be fine, but Huggy and Tobey didn't stand a chance if they didn't get the ship up and running again. Odds were they only had a few minutes before the remain oxygen slipped out. What was worse was that Grammy was probably ordering the door back open by now. So think . . . where could she get a light source? The communicator! WordGirl fumbled around in the pockets of her cape and suit, but her hand hit nothing. It must have fallen out when the ship hit the door.

"Well," Tobey asked as confidently as possible. "Do you have a flashlight or something?"

"On me, no. But I'm sure something in here lights up," WordGirl glanced around the darkness. There did seem to be some light coming from under the steering controls. Whatever it was must have been knocked to the floor as well during the collision. "Hold on. I see something." WordGirl knelt down and reached for the faint red light. Her fingers brushed the tip of it and she knew it was Todd's hat.

Why, would that glow? WordGirl pulled the hat out and rose back to her feet. Giving the light source a better look; it was some kind of mechanical . . . bug. Todd had been bugged, that's how Adler knew when to kidnap him. WordGirl's breathing sharpened a bit.

Even if she hadn't left him, Todd would have been snatched up sooner or later; it wasn't her fault he was taken at all. WordGirl narrowed her eyes. If Adler wanted to play this dirty, well so could she.

"Tobey would this be enough light?" WordGirl handed the hat over to the boy genius. He took it from her and began to examine it.

"If you take off this colored lens," Tobey proceeded to do so. "Then it won't be red anymore and the light will be brighter. Perfect. If you can get me to the engine room, I know I can fix it."

"On it. I know this ship like the back of my hand." WordGirl reached out and, flailing around, finally took hold of Tobey. She raced him out of the cab and down into the space below. She had to slow her pace just a bit, but she could remember every turn perfectly. They were in the engine room in not time. There were a few faint lights still blinking on the equipment, but the hat-flashlight was still going to be quite a help.

Tobey glanced over the room with shocked awe. The equipment running the ship look simple enough, but . . . it wasn't arranged in a way that looked familiar to the boy. Tobey knelt down beside one of the gears. He ran his hand over the smooth widgets and noticed that they were rounded off with a thin, odorless oil smeared over them. Tobey shined as much light on them as possible . . . yet nothing looked out of place to him, or maybe he just couldn't tell.

"I can't see what's wrong," Tobey frantically sent his gaze around the gears. "Do you have a manual or anything?"

"If we did I'm sure Huggy would have fixed the ship years ago," WordGirl was beginning to panic. "We're not going to have enough time for you to figure this out."

"Well, we're going to have to make time," Tobey snorted out of frustration. "You heard the monkey, no engine no air."

"Yeah, but your grandmother isn't going to hold off any longer." WordGirl began pacing as Tobey continued to tinker. She bit her lower lip trying to keep her anxiety from getting out of hand. . .

An air chamber had opened. WordGirl turned her head toward the direction of Thesauria. The dome had been opened again and surely the soldiers were coming after them in ships.

"They're coming," WordGirl hovered off the ground and went for the hall.

"Wait," Tobey rose to his feet to try and follow her out. "You can't possibly be thinking about fighting them are you?"

"Of course not," WordGirl took off down the hall calling back to Tobey. "I'm going to push the ship home, so buckle up!"

Tobey's mouth hung ajar for a moment. She wasn't serious was she? The ship jerked around a bit and Tobey was almost knocked to his bottom. Okay, she was serious. Tobey abandoned the engine room and crawled out into the hall. There was no way he could hope to find his way back to the control room, so he'd have to ride it out where he was.

"I hope you know what you're doing." Tobey couldn't help the fear building up in him. He knew the ride to Thesauria ad taken them a whole night . . . he wasn't certain he could hold his breath that long.

WordGirl was pressing herself against the back of her ship. She was giving it her all. Thanks to there being no friction in space, she was having little trouble getting the ship to move. If she were able to get up to the speed of sound she could have the ship back on Earth before the air was-

Bang. A laser had been fired right beside her. Because killing me will help them get their princess back, WordGirl fumed to herself, but kept her attention focused on the task at hand. The ship was picking up more speed, but so were the Thesaurian crafts. . . If they caught up to her they would discover Tobey and most likely lock her up in a place she'd never be able to escape from. She couldn't let them catch up. . . she needed more speed to get away, as well as to keep Huggy and Tobey alive. Well . . . if ever she needed super speed . . .

* * *

(A/N) This story has been fun to write and it is the most extensive piece of fiction I've ever written, at this point in my life. I started it two years ago today, and the next chapter is the last. I hope everyone enjoyed reading the story. Feel free to review, point out mistakes, leave constructive criticism.


	33. Last Stand

Disclaimer: WordGirl belongs to Soup 2 Nuts, Scholastic and PBS. This is a fanfiction that is not a commentary on any written or produced goods or services.

* * *

The ship moved sluggishly considering the danger rushing from behind them. WordGirl couldn't seem to maneuver the ship in any way that would give her the needed speed to escape. Surrounded by the dark view all around her, WordGirl felt a little helpless.

"I thought space was supposed to be frictionless," WordGirl bit her lower lip and applied every super essence of her being into pushing the spacecraft. WordGirl was beginning to gain velocity when several more rays struck next to her body. Two punctures were made in the back of the ship. WordGirl could hear the air leaking from the ship as it hissed past her. Anymore attacks and there wouldn't be enough air to even begin the journey home. WordGirl sent a worried glance over her shoulder to see the Thesaurian ships accelerating toward her. "No you don't."

Thru clenched teeth WordGirl whispered a prayer and strove for the speed she had on Monday. She imagined this as that tornado; it was nothing more but wind. The only thing standing between her death and freedom was her. This calamity was but air in need of displacement.

The speed of sound wasn't as hard to hit this time. Her energy fully focused, the ship was zooming thru space and farther from its pursuers. She watched as the vessels behind her grew smaller and smaller; slight worry rising that at any minute they would recover from their slowed pace. After several long moments . . . the Thesaurian ships still hadn't caught up. It was clear that they had given up, were restricted in how far out they could go or . . . perhaps they were afraid to venture this far from Thesauria. WordGirl didn't want to know what it was that could have scared them, it would be best to think they just couldn't keep up. This could work; it was working . . ! But which way was Earth? WordGirl couldn't just quit pushing the ship . . . oh wait,

Being there was no resistance in space WordGirl could trust the ship to keep its pace while she headed back to the control area of the ship. The heroine flew back to the side door and climbed back in. She immediately took a breath to gauge how much oxygen was left. The air was as thin as it had been back at the lake house. That meant . . .

WordGirl held her breath as she combed the ship in search of Huggy and Tobey. Tobey was quickly found in the hallway outside the engine room. He hadn't moved from his position since he felt the ship jolt. In fact, he wasn't moving at all.

"Tobey?" The boy didn't respond to her in the darkness. "Please Tobey, don't play like this." WordGirl placed a hand on Tobey's chest. It rose ever so slightly; he was still breathing. He had passed out, but was still breathing. WordGirl sighed in relief. Gently, WordGirl scooped the boy up bridle style and flew him back to the head controls. There she found the captain hadn't passed out, and that there was a large enough air pocket for the monkey and boy to breath in.

"Huggy, Tobey's out," WordGirl placed the young genius in the passenger's chair and strapped him in. "Is he going to be alright?"

"It's just the body's defense; when air is low the body shuts down to conserve it." Huggy couldn't see the two, but he could easily tell from WordGirl's tone that she was panicked. Little did the pilot know WordGirl's fears were more deeply rooted than the immediate moment they were in. She was fearing that Tobey would do what Todd had. If anything like that were to happen again, there would be no way for her to help him. Becky couldn't stand the thought of losing another friend.

"Huggy we need to get back now," WordGirl began pressing buttons on the control panel. "Did Tobey not fix anything? How are we suppose to find Earth?"

"With a bit of luck I guess." Huggy grabbed the controls and began steering the ship.

"How do you know where we're going?"

o.

Trying to get to the police station by foot was slow. Two-Brains couldn't let anyone see him or they might have him arrested, which as good as it sounded to get a free ride to the station, he wouldn't be able to help much in handcuffs. The man dodged behind another trash can as another person stepped out of his house to enjoy the morning.

"It's just a sunrise," Two-Brains complained as he began crawling around the nearby house. "These people act like they've never seen it before."

No progress was being made by the man, and he knew this plan wasn't going to work. His best bet was to simply make a run for the station and hope that no one would be able to spot him. Oh, because that plan had no flaws.

A similar frustration was playing out back on WordGirl's island. Prof. James Dohickey was inspecting the old crash site of the departed heroine's ship. It was a quiet morning on the island, much to his dismay.

"There's just got to be a way to bring you back." The man walked around the crater again. He wasn't totally sure what he was looking for. Maybe a map or space rock, something to tell him the location of the distant planet WordGirl was being dragged to. But his efforts went in vain, for a whole night and morning of searching had resulted in little more than fatigue. James could hardily keep his eyes open at this point. "All I need is one clue, just one."

The tired man stepped away from the crater and sat with his back against a nearby tree. Maybe a little nap would shake him back up . . .

Shaking? There came a low rumbling sound that made James unsteady even in the seated position. It was as if the sound was able to cause an earthquake, agitating the rocks near James' feet. It was then he was able to locate the source of the sound. The man sent his gaze up. It appeared there was some kind of object falling from the sky.

"My word," the man's eye grew as realization struck. "It's going to crash!" James threw his arms up as if to hold back the object, but even he knew this was foolish. He swallowed hard and tried to brace himself for impact.

The noise of the crash was horrendous. There was no telling what had fallen from the sky for the lone scientist kept his eyes closed tightly during the impact. James couldn't even feel his heartbreak thanks to the clamor, and sheer fear kept his eyes glued shut once all was silent again. Was he dead?

"Well what do you know," That voice; James recognized it immediately. The man opened his eyes to see the subject of his weary search crash landed right back where it had once been; WordGirl, Captain HuggyFace and a disoriented Tobey all stepping back out on the island. "Who could have guessed you'd be able to crash here without knowing where you were going. This really must be your favorite place to crash Huggy."

The monkey chirped happily in reply.

"Wo-WordGirl?" James could blearily speak, and obviously couldn't be heard as the group didn't acknowledge his being there.

"Well," Tobey spoke up as he tried to steady his steps. "What do we do now?" He sounded sick, and understandably so. To him the whole trip was a blank, and the lack of oxygen had given him quite the headache.

"Just relax Tobey," WordGirl came beside the dizzy boy and took hold of his arm to steady him. "I don't need you for what I have to do." WordGirl's voice was somber. Even as dizzy as he was Tobey could hear the strain in her words.

"You're not going to leave me here?" Tobey took hold of WordGirl's hand. He knew this wouldn't be enough to hold her back if she chose to leave, but he was hoping it would be enough to persuade her not to forsake him.

WordGirl dropped her sight to their cupped hands. . . she gave her full attention to the boy, regardless of the futility of his efforts.

"WordGirl, I want to help. I know you're going after the person who took Becky. Please . . ."

"Tobey, I'm a superhero, and this is my city to protect." The girl pulled away from the boy's hold to hover just a few inches away from him.

"Please WordGirl, I want to help!" Tobey wasn't known for doing good. It didn't pay to be good. "It's cost me everything up to this point. Becky, my relationship with my grandmother, and I'm certain my sanity is wearing thin. Please, I have to help you; I have to help Becky."

" . . . You don't have to worry about her, I'm the hero here-"

"You don't have a right to say that!" Tears. "Becky lost her life to-"

"Then it's not necessary for you to lose yours."

"I'm not talking about death you idiot!" Heavy breathing. "For someone who claims to be good with words you clearly don't know how to define them! I have lost my life to this. Becky was my friend and the only person other than my grandmother who has tried to be good to me; tried to understand me. She's shared her life with me, and in that regard, she laid it down. Now I've given up everything to look for her, I've given up my life as I've always known it. You have no right to leave me now!"

WordGirl was stunned. Even James and Huggy were at a lost as they stared at the two young people; their eyes locked in a onslaught of nonverbal arguments. WordGirl gazed helplessly at the boy. The tears fell so quickly from Tobey's eyes it was a wonder he didn't dry up before her. Her heart pounded restlessly as the fears she had become so accustomed to became evident on Tobey's face.

"I'm . . ." She didn't notice she had been crying until she felt the tear drop leave her face and come between her and the boy. "I'm sorry, I have to do this alone."

She was off.

Huggy watched as the young man dropped to his knees and pounded the ground with his open palm. The captain wasn't certain how to respond, and he certainly wasn't sure what was going on. Why had WordGirl left him? She couldn't possibly be thinking about fighting Adler alone! Tobey was clearly distort, emotional anguish visibly washing over him. Huggy had to admit it was a troubling sight. For all the trouble Tobey was worth, this more than made up for it as Huggy saw a side to him he hadn't seen in too many people. Huggy couldn't . . . wouldn't leave him that way.

"Come on Tobey," the monkey came alongside the boy and promoted him to rise to his feet. "You can't help Becky like this."

Tobey looked to the monkey with wonder, then a weak smile.

"How do we get off this island?"

"Excuse me?" Both Huggy and Tobey noticed the voice coming from the professor behind them. The man came to the boy's side and assisted Huggy in helping him to his feet. "If a boat is what you need, I maybe able to help."

"Please," Tobey didn't want to sound like he was a pathetic wimp pleading for help, but at this point, it was useless to try to appear as anything else. "Can we borrow it?"

"Of course but . . ."

"But what? What?"

"Could you, as we're getting the boat, explain to me where you have gone . . . and why you're wearing a skirt?"

o

For it being morning, the air still felt as cold as night. This was probably due to all the rain that week. WordGirl couldn't remember a day where it didn't rain, of course, she hadn't been in the city all week, and she was sick both Tuesday and Wednesday, but now this brisk morning. The sun was raising and was in plain sight despite numerous scattered clouds. When the sun hit those patches of overcast WordGirl could just make out the drizzle falling beneath them. Today was going to be a little wet, but that shouldn't interfere with her plans in the least.

WordGirl flew around the buildings of the city she knew and loved. Just as Nona could navigate the similar streets of her home planet, WordGirl skillfully speed around concrete and brick when-Bang! Her super hearing caught the sound of Adler's weapon. It was like nothing she'd ever heard before; loud and ringing, deafening even at her distance. But another sound accompanied that shot, and this one was horrifying-ly familiar.

"Dad!"

Tim gripped the afflicted arm as the Mings came beside him.

"I suggest getting him some help." Adler carelessly stepped past the huddled adults pulling TJ out with him; the boy's will to fight drained.

"Don't move Tim," Mr. Ming felt queasy as he knelt to the fallen man. "We have to get you to a hospital." Mrs. Ming helped her husband as he tried to lift the wounded man off the floor. Tim groaned in protest, but he did his best to stand. Mr. Ming was concerned about the amount of blood that was being lost from the man's shoulder and he knew Tim's weakness wasn't a good sign. "Todd," the man turned his attention to his son still trapped behind bars. Both children in the cell had looks that simply conveyed fear, and even Claire looked disheveled by the events that just took place in front of her.

"We can't leave them." Mrs. Ming was clearly worried about her son being left 'trapped' with a mad man like Adler, but there was no doubt Tim needed medical attention now.

"Can you carry Tim yourself; I'll stay and look for a key." Just as the words left Mr. Mings mouth Tim's knees buckled under his own wait. He was losing blood at an alarming rate and was now fainting from it.

"I can't carry him," The mother looked back at the faces trapped in the cage, also taking note of the polices' inability to help. "Heck, you can't even do it; this man's heavy."

"Just go," Both parents were surprised to hear their son speak. "We'll be fine. Get Becky's dad to the hospital." Claire nodded to Todd's words in agreement.

Neither parent liked this idea, but Tim wasn't going to get any better. Besides, with the police locked up someone needed to find outside help. Reluctantly, the Mings took up Tim, Mr. Ming holding the man under the shoulders and his wife picking up the weight of his lower back and legs. It was an awkward retreat to say the least.

As the room fell silent, Violet finally released her breath in the form of a gasp. Another, sharper gasp escaped her lips and then Violet found herself sobbing. The sight of her best friend's father as the weapon fired . . . it was too overwhelming for words. And to think, shortly ago that thing was aimed at her. Her tearful gaze fell on the crimson puddles on the floor and another wave of fearful emotion over took her.

"No," the spit collecting in her mouth distorted her word; she cried anyway. "No. No. No. No. No . . !"

Claire embraced Violet fully as the girls legs gave out. Both mother and child slumped to the floor as Violet heaved her frustrations onto Claire. The woman looked to the other youth in the cage to see he too wasn't taking this incident lightly. Todd had turned his back to them and was using the bars for support. But this moment didn't keep, the door to the holding cell was opened once more and Claire turned quickly to look, hoping it wasn't Adler returning.

WordGirl had flung open the door and zipped into the room. She was hovering motionless as her sights landed on the tainted puddles. It was almost as if she hadn't noticed the groups behind bars; the police certainly weren't focusing on her as they continued to struggle with their entanglement. Still, Claire felt a sliver better seeing the heroine.

Todd had taken notice of the girl's entrance as well. The relief he felt was overtaken by the urgency of the situation they found themselves in. And yet, seeing WordGirl alive took away a great burden from that reporter.

"Becky?" His soft tone gently lifted her gaze to him. WordGirl wouldn't deny that he looked awful; his hair a mess, his clothes wet and muddy, his eyes red and tired . . . but he was alive. He was alive. He was alive!

"Scoops! You're alive!" WordGirl was at the bars in an instant reaching in and grabbing the boy's head in slight disbelief. "I thought you were dead this entire time! I can't tell you how happy this makes me." WordGirl didn't even care how curious her action must have seemed to the occupants of the cell, she was so relieved to see him standing there. But the look of worry hadn't removed itself from his feature causing WordGirl to simmer down.

"Adler, he shot your dad," Todd wasn't speaking too loudly, but Claire and Violet were now looking on. Becky's cheerful disposition dropped at his words as she leaned closer to the bars to hear his whispers. "I think your dad'll be fine, but Adler took your brother and he's still got that weapon. You have to stop him before he hurts someone else."

Becky dropped her eyes to think. Why had Adler shot her dad . . . more importantly how would she get TJ back safely while at the same time stopping the city from getting erased? She still hadn't met the man and yet he had made her hate him more. . . she was bitter. No, she wouldn't let her anger cloud her thinking. Todd and her dad were still alive, and she needed to revel in that fact for strength. Just then Becky felt Todd's hand grab one of hers. She hadn't realized she was still holding his head until now, and she was greeted with a smile as she looked back to him.

"Before you go, I want to apologize."

"For what?" WordGirl quickly remembered Saturday morning and how Todd had tried to start this exact same apology. Perhaps now wasn't the time for it. "Look I have to stop Adler now but . . ." After today, he wouldn't ever get a chance to apologize to WordGirl. " . . . I'm not mad at you. I never was."

WordGirl then released her hold on Todd and grabbed the bars. With one tug she ripped them from the wall, she did the same for the police's containment cell and proceeded to the door. She gave one more smile into the waiting eyes of her friends and headed out of the holding room.

WordGirl made it to the main foyer of the police station. She wasn't sure where Adler might have gone, but she knew he probably hadn't left the police station. If his intent was still to capture her, and Tobey, he was here for attention. He chose this place because he knew her friends were here. The only question left was where could the most attention be had . . .

"WordGirl," The voice was authoritative and one WordGirl had never heard before. "I'm Mare Imbrium, head and founder of Far Side Authorities."

Far Side. That was the organization that could erase the city.

"Why are you here?" WordGirl kept her position in the air glancing around the room to make sure Mare had come alone.

"Don't be getting too suspicious of me yet. My business here is Adler, then you. We have a common enemy I presume. Let's talk."

"You just want to erase my city because they know about me, you don't . . ." She was here for Adler? "Wait, you're not here to destroy my city?"

"Don't jump to hasty conclusions. High Law is going to be upheld, but that means I must arrest Adler first and then assess your city . . ."

"If you want Adler I'll hand deliver him to you, but trust me, you won't have to do anything with this city when I'm done." WordGirl continued her flight toward the second story of the police station despite Mare's protests downstairs. WordGirl had to hope Zephyr's assumptions were right. Far Side wouldn't touch the city if she were gone. And now with this Mare lady saying she's going to arrest Adler, well, things were starting to look . . . up?

A man's voice began drifting thru the ceiling; WordGirl knew instantly who it was and she wasted no time answering his call. In a surge of light WordGirl raced to the roof of the station to see the target of her pursuit smiling. Adler had taken himself and TJ to the roof perhaps because Adler found it more public and available to WordGirl. He was standing perfectly composed with TJ still at gun point, but his smile was subsiding.

"Let him go Adler." WordGirl landed only a few feet away from the two. She wasn't sure what the weapon was able to do, yet there was no doubting that Adler would use if he wanted. He wasn't like the other villains she had faced. She could call their bluff; they would never do anything so wicked as to kill innocent people. Sure her life had been threatened before, but even then her villains usually called off their assault.

About a minute pasted and still Adler remind frozen where he was. What was he waiting for? WordGirl glared hard at the man, doing her best to ignore the cringing behavior of her brother.

"I'm serious Adler," WordGirl didn't want to admit it, but his silence was intimidating her. The longer he made her stand there the more worried she was that TJ wouldn't make it out alive. "Mare Imbam, or whatever, Far Side is here for you Adler and I know that if you hurt him you'll be in direct violation of High Law." Adler smirked in response but didn't answer.

The sounds of the waking city began to fill the air as the coolness of dawn gave way to the rising sun. The morning commute of cars, planes, trains and trams composed a cacophony of dissonance. Off in the distance several large rain clouds could be seen forming, but they still had a ways to go before they would reach the city. Below the police station small crowds had gathered to see what it was WordGirl was doing on top of the building, but ignorance of the danger bored them back to their morning routines without worry; new people replacing for just another moment. However, all these things seemed to fade away as WordGirl's heart began to pound for her brother. Adler wasn't moving and she was still at a lose on what to do.

Adler didn't appear untuned to the world. WordGirl knew Adler felt everything was falling into his plan. He was grinning again as he released his hold on TJ. It was a shock to both the boy and the superhero.

What was he do . . ?

TJ fled the madman's grip and ran to the protective care of his city's superhero. WordGirl could hardily hold her daring stance as her young brother clenched onto her cape. WordGirl was baffled as to why Adler had released him . . . maybe knowing Far Side was here was enough to set him straight.

"O-kay, well are you surrendering?" WordGirl still kept her distance as Adler signaled with one finger for her to wait a moment as he tucked the gun between his hip and belt. He then pulled a small device from his pocket and held it flat in his hand. It didn't look like the communication device Nona had given her, but perhaps it was just a different model. Either way WordGirl knew better than to take this 'phone' too lightly. "What is it?"

"Britannica's best technology, and the perfect way to show Miss. Imbrium just how much WordGirl loves her city." He activated the device with just a simple flick of the wrist, and then tossed it to the feet of WordGirl.

"What did that do?" WordGirl grabbed up the device and gave it a once over. She glared to the man. "Tell me." While the two remained in their stand still, Mare finally made it to the roof. She was still at the door, watching the two. TJ sent a glance back to the new arrival before addressing the girl.

"WordGirl, Who's she? What's Britannica ?" TJ was still holding tight to the heroine's cape.

As TJ spoke, the meaning of Adler's word sank in. Erased, Adler knew Far Side would erase the city if Mare felt that WordGirl had contaminated it. Mother Earth was not supposed to have any connection with her kind, and now that Far Side knew she was interacting with the city, (TJ removing any doubt Mare might have had) there was little WordGirl could do to persuade her otherwise.

"TJ, you should leave now." WordGirl pulled aside from TJ.

"But what about Adler he's . . ."

"Now TJ." WordGirl didn't mean to sound so angry, she was really mad at Adler, but she knew TJ's presence was only serving Adler's purpose to its fullest. The boy slowly complied, neither Adler nor Mare looking to him as he left.

TJ's only vexation now was for his hero, and the helpless state both she and himself seemed to be in.

"Adler," Mare spoke as soon as she felt TJ was gone from earshot. "By order of the Queen of Thesauria and on the grounds of High Law, you are to come with me. If not I have several ground forces who are more than willing to handle this the hard way."

"Of course." Adler wore an innocent smile as he extended his hands out to Mare. The woman pulled yet another foreign device out and waved it under Adler's hands; he was cuffed by a energy field of blue light.

"That's it?" WordGirl stood dumbfounded. "You're giving up without a fight?"

"I would never dream of fighting against the order of the queen," Adler's response made Mare nod content-ly, but WordGirl knew better. "I simply hope . . ."

"This thing," WordGirl held the device up for both Adler and Mare to see. "You did something with this; what was it?"

Mare took a step closer to the object and then looked back to Adler.

"Did you use this?"

"No, I simply have it just in case. I know better than to use Britannican technology on Earth. My means for force were strictly from this planet; observe the gun on my person." Adler motioned with his head to the gun. WordGirl was shocked to see Mare simple nod at the gun's presence as if accepting its use as normal. When was pulling a gun on children normal?

"That is an Earth weapon."

"But he was aiming it at people; he's shot people!" WordGirl nearly yelled at the woman, angered that she would side with him.

"I only used the weapon on those who were getting too close to discovering my place of origin or perverting me from getting to you." Adler clearly had prepared his speech ahead of time, but no matter. At no time was it right to . . .

"Then surly your charge is not for misconduct of technology." Mare again seemed to agree with Adler. WordGirl couldn't believe this.

"Ma'ma, this man has blatantly tried to kill me and several other people from this planet," WordGirl put her efforts on trying to talk some sense into the Far Side agent. This woman after all was the one who would decide the city's fate. . . no, WordGirl wouldn't let her decide, the city was going to be safe no matter what. But Adler had to be dealt with first. "He's kidnaped Earth children, threatened me, the princess of Lexicon, broken High Law by talking with several humans and is lying to you which means he's lying to authority. I'm also sure the Queen of Thesauria has her reasons; so this man needs to be . . ."

"You have no grounds for telling me what 'needs to be,'" Mare suddenly boomed causing WordGirl to step back. The girl then remembered what Nona had warned her earlier, the customs of other planets were not like hers. Obviously guns and killing weren't as big a deal for a planet that's been in war for over two-hundred years. Some of Zephyr's words came to her as well. Without mentioning Tobey, there wasn't enough to put Adler away forever. "I will be making any and all decisions concerning arrests on Earth; and I can assure you they will be done in concordance with High Law. Which of course means you have no right listening to the verdict I make for this man."

WordGirl growled under her breath as the woman lectured her. This was not what she had planned. If Mare didn't see Adler as a threat, could she let him go?

"Ma'ma please. I'm telling you the truth. This man has done plenty against High Law and I fear he is trying to bring more harm to my city."

"Your city, eh?" The woman lifted her gaze and looked out at the city scape. "Tell me princess of Lexicon, have you been here long?"

WordGirl bit her lip. She knew where this conversation was going.

"If you plan to judge me or this city, shouldn't Adler not be allowed to hear?"

"According to High Law in regards to Lexicon's minor clauses, you are not yet an adult and therefore cannot claim the rights of one."

". . . What? I'm the princess, I think I have right!"

"A princess who's abandoned her throne," WordGirl lowered her head at Mare's condemning words. "The way I see it, you're lucky I'm thinking over my decision for your city at all. Now, how long?"

WordGirl gritted her teeth. Should she lie? She could say had been living on her ship for the last ten years and only recently had she begun interacting with people, but no one knew she was from Lexicon.

That might work, unless Mare asked how her alter ego came into existence. WordGirl could say that when she was seven she . . . saw evil in the city an secretly started fighting it. No, wait, Adler was still listening. He would refute that lie and, being he was the 'adult' here, Mare would believe him. . . but then again, even if WordGirl told the truth, Adler might manipulate the situation to better suit himself. No matter what she did, lie or tell the truth, she was stuck with another impossible answer.

"Well," Mare was becoming impatience. "Surly you Lexiconians can do math faster than that. How long have you been apart of this city!"

WordGirl took a deep breath, ready to explain what she could when the sound of chaos lifted from the street below. It was as if the whole city were screaming, shouting and . . . crashing? WordGirl turned from the couple and ran to the side of the building. Mare also abandoned her position and came alongside WordGirl. Cars were crashing into one another and citizens did their best to jump out of the way. Looking around, it was easy to spot the darkened streetlights, store venues and broken down cars. It looked light the city was having a blackout that reach much farther than just electrical sockets, but to any electronic in sight.

As WordGirl continued her stare, she felt Mare's hand come down hard on her shoulder.

"The Neutralizing Apparatus, did you activate it?" The woman glared hard at her. For her part, WordGirl had no idea what the lady was talking about. "Did you?" It was then WordGirl remembered the device she had been holding.

WordGirl sent a concerned look in Adler's direction. His smile removed her doubt, he had planned this. Adler wanted WordGirl to look like she had activated the weapon, perhaps as a way to divert Mare's attention. Oh well, it didn't look like it was hurting anyone, so WordGirl hadn't really messed up the city. . . Mare could move on with her ruling, though this incident didn't help WordGirl's imagine any. But just as WordGirl was about to speak, her super-hearing picked up a cry for help. The person sounding unmistakably like Mrs. Botsford, and WordGirl sent her gaze up to the sky. Losing control was a small aircraft.

"Look what you've done by playing around," Mare snatched the device from the unknowing girl's hand. "That flying thing's probably got people on it and it's going to crash; no doubt killing others. I think it's plain to see you've done more harm than good here."

Becky didn't even hear the woman.

"Too bad there's no hero for them; someone who's always been there for them. A shame that you, princess, with all your powers can do little for them." Adler's comments were quickly reprimanded by Mare, but not before the impact of his words sunk in to Becky. If she went to save her mother, Mare would clearly see the need to erase the city. WordGirl was too involved and the people relied on her too much; High Law was breeched. But 'if Far Side sees the princess is dead, and the city can move on without her, there's no reason to erase a thing.'

No more need for thoughts, now was a time for action; WordGirl took to the sky.

Below the police station, a certain mousey villain had finally made it to the disorderly street he'd been aiming for. And with the people in such disarray, Steven didn't even have to worry if anyone spotted him.

"Finally, a lucky break," The doctor watched a few people limp from their cars before setting his sights on the building. "Odd." The windows were strangely dim; in fact, every surrounding building looked about the same. "And an entire block having a car accident; not a coincidence."

Confirming his hunch was WordGirl flying away from the police station and into the sky. Steven followed her flight path to see the troubled plane.

"Is that WordGirl?"

Steven turned to see Claire, along with the children and officers, exiting the station. They lifted their gaze up to the heroine.

"I think she's going to catch that plane."

Citizens betrayed by their automobiles joined in the small group in giving a concerned eye to their heroine. Mare and Adler, confident that the city had no bright future after this heroic attempt, could only watch the princess actions from this point.

WordGirl's daring rescue was easily distracting from any place in the city, especially for her two traveling companions making their way back on the bay. Huggy was the first to spot WordGirl from the small rowboat they now found themselves in. James was the last to notice as he was still rowing the small craft. The three seemed to freeze as they saw the heroics taking place.

Huggy was the most disturbed by it. He knew WordGirl better than anyone, as a good sidekick should. Yet something had changed. Huggy never could have seen their lives unfolding like this. He had always intended to tell Becky the truth about her origins and Lexicon, and how they had gotten there, but the timing didn't seem right and his lies didn't seem wrong. She was only eleven and a kingdom just felt like too much to burden a kid with. Huggy couldn't say whether what he had done was right or wrong, all he knew was he had done the best he knew to do. He had kept her safe this long, and she did have good years with her family and friends. He wouldn't lie to himself now . . . there was no way she would be able to stay here on Earth.

"Oh my, look!" James' sudden shouting brought Huggy's mind back to the present moment. WordGirl had managed to make it to the plane, but . . .

As WordGirl took hold of the aircraft, both Sally and the pilot felt the plane jerk. The plane hadn't stopped moving, it was just being held in the air. Sally was the first to recover from her shock. Placing a hand to her head she looked out the front window to the superhero.

"WordGirl," came her grateful cry. "Thank you!"

"No problem mo- Mrs. District Attorney Botsford." Becky couldn't hold back her smile. Her mom had come back for her; it meant a lot. "Do you two have parachutes in there?"

Sally looked around and then shrugged. The pilot finally composed himself to answer WordGirl.

"As a world class flying ace, I'd like to say that I never pack a parachute."

". . . Why Not!" WordGirl couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"'Cause, that means I'm a scared I can't land this plane under all circumstances. And let me tell you a world class flying ace can land his plane under all- whoa."

WordGirl didn't have time to let the man finish his speech she snatched him up quickly and dropped him off at the nearest building. Now that WordGirl was getting used to using such high velocity, she made it back to the plane before it had a chance to tip downward again.

"Are you ready to go Mrs. Botsford?" WordGirl scooped her mother up without an answer. The two left the plane in a decent a little slower than the pilot's.

"WordGirl," Sally spoke up. "Do you know what's happened to my daughter Becky? She's gone missing and it's taken me so long to get here; has she turned up?"

Becky sighed.

"I'm sure, Becky's fine," WordGirl placed her mother down on one of the nearby buildings and hovered there a moment. "Mrs. Botsford?"

"Yes WordGirl." Worry was still sketched into the woman's face.

"I just want to thank you. You're a get district attorney and I've always been inspired by the work you do. If anyone's like a superhero, it's you."

"Why, Thank yo-"

"I'm sure your daughter feels the same way . . . I've got to stop that plane, but, promise me you'll keep thwarting bad guys no matter what."

"Thwart means to ruin or foil something right? Why would I ever stop foiling crime, and with you here?"

"Just promise."

"I can't make a promise like that," Sally dropped her eyes, and somehow, Becky knew it was because of her. "But you have my word I'll do my best." Sally smiled weakly oblivious to what WordGirl truly meant with her words.

Ignoring the pressure behind her eyes, Becky returned to the crashing plane, this time holding the front and guiding it away from the city. It was clear to everyone below that she was steering it from crashing into building, but what didn't make sense was why WordGirl couldn't gain full control of the aircraft. Why couldn't she just stop it in mid-air and carry it down slowly?

All eyes were on the struggling superhero, native and foreign, and the questions and concerns raised with their fears.

To Huggy, Tobey and James there was no question as to where the heroine was heading, she was 'crashing' the plane back on the island they had just left.

"Quick turnaround!" Tobey nearly tipped the boat as he stood about-faced. "She's going back!"

"Why is she doing that?" Huggy scrunched his face. He couldn't see the logic in what she was doing; at least, not until he saw what happened next.

An explosion, and a big one too. Much bigger than that plane could have produced. As a blast of warm air stretched out over the bay, Huggy couldn't stop himself from what he did next. The monkey leap over the edge of the boat and began swimming back to the island. His frantic pace was stronger than James' ability to get them to shore. Huggy had to know what happened.

Over the city, the rain had finally arrived. Every citizen stood in it however. No one tried to seek shelter, no one seemed to notice. Even Adler and Mare found themselves fixated to their places.

"Why did she . . ?" Adler's mind drew a blank for a moment. Had she just . . . she had the strength to stop it, why didn't she? His eye twitched as he realized what had happened here. "She killed herself so I wouldn't get to."

"Excuse me?" Mare looked back at the drenched man.

"She did that so that I couldn't become king!"

"Then I'd say she played her cards well," Mare breathed out heavily before coming behind Adler, ready to push him down to her waiting focuses. "Though I think she made more of a sacrifice than anything else."

"You're not going to destroy the city are you?" Adler's disgust could be heard.

"I'll have my agents watch it for a while, but if the city can forget about that girl, than I see no reason for its destruction. Besides, there is no way of knowing if the princess shared anything with them now; surly I can't condemn these people to death on a charge without a witness; namely the princess herself."

"I hate High Law."

"And you're going to hate it more after your trial." Adler glared over at the Far Side agent next to him. He still had one card left to play too, and if his assumption was right, it could have him out seeking his revenge sooner than the Queen of Thesauria or princess of Lexicon could have anticipated. WordGirl's death wouldn't affect his original plan to evade his charge of treason, and with this incident far behind him,

"You haven't told me my charges yet." Adler stated flatly.

"To be honest," Mare pushed Adler to the roof door. "The Queen did not give any specifics on your arrest. Aside from the blatant interaction with Mother Earth, I haven't seen your crime worthy to be called treason."

Grin. He would soon be a free man.

"But I'm sure the Queen will explain herself" Mare opened the door and whipped some of the rain away from her eyes.

"Oh, I wonder if she can. Perhaps she was mistaken in her charge." Adler was lead out, unseen by the preoccupied citizens who were too busy trying to understand what they had just seen. They knew WordGirl's strength to be much greater than that explosion lead them to believe. Was she . . ?

The heavy breathing of the crowd coupled with the gentle cries of the confused drove Steven's memory back to Tuesday. WordGirl had put so much concern on herself for her city. She loved these people . . . and even the villains. Shamefully he'd have to admit, her respect for even him was more than he was deserving . . . she couldn't have died in that. He wouldn't let her die in that.

Before Steven could realize what he was doing he was walking in the direction of the bay, then jogging, then full-out running. He had to see for himself. He had to see if the little girl who visited his lab, the hero who had faith in him when he didn't, the friend who sacrificed a normal life for his city, was okay. He didn't notice, but several others had joined him; Claire and the children among them. It seemed the whole city, if not physically, spiritually, had gathered on the shoreline. The explosion they knew was too large for that small plane, but the thought crossed their mind,

"Her ship," Tobey gasped as the actualization hit him. "She pulled that plane into her ship to cause a bigger explosion!"

"That wouldn't make sense," James breathed as he began turning the boat back toward the island. "Why would she crash it purposefully into her own ship? That explosion's enough to even hurt her."

That was all Tobey had to hear. He too jumped out of the boat and began swimming back to the island.

"Please," Tobey babbled between his gulps of air. "Oh please God no." His glasses struggled to stay fixed on his face as Tobey himself struggled with the unanticipated weight of his kilt. His lack of speed caused him to quickly kick off his shoes to lessen his load. And though Tobey never would openly admit this, he was glad his mother had sent him to camp that summer. He had watched the other kids swim in the lake and he was able to imitate them now. One arm over the other, legs kicking wildly.

Just as the boy's hand grazed the bottom of the bay, a sign he was close to the shore, a wave caught him from underneath and thrust him forward. Tumbling head over heal, Tobey washed up onto the island. He didn't waste much time correcting his looks. Tobey simply readjusted his glasses and took off running in the direction of the ship.

The forest was hot, and understandably so. Most of the trees around the place of impact had been burnt or were still in the process of doing so. Luckily being wet prevented the heat from clinging too heavily to Tobey, but he knew that wouldn't last long. His eyes scanned the blazing wreckage before him as he kept a safe distance back. The smell of melting metals and pine trees, or possibly just the smoke, caused Tobey to cough a bit and knell down. He didn't seem to feel the rough forest floor as his eyes once more filled with water. Where was she? Tobey's body was beginning to lose its resistance to the heat and he knew he'd have to go; losing yet another friend. But then a noise.

Captain HuggyFace came running from around the other side of the ship obviously looking for WordGirl. With his costume burnt and his fur a mess, the poor creature seemed more determined to stay with that fire than was safe. Tobey knew he couldn't get as close to the flames as Huggy was; it was amazing Huggy wasn't on fire himself. Tobey could only watch the horrific scene as the panic-stricken sidekick would slowly circum to the smoke and fire. A part of Tobey wished he could run to the animal, but he knew Huggy would fight to stay and he wouldn't come to a messily call of warning. It was a true act of friendship Tobey couldn't bear to observe any more.

Tobey turned to get to his feet, his back facing the fallen sidekick, when he heard another noise seemingly staggering from the ship.


	34. Epilog

"I hate Mondays."

Two in the morning was rarely anyone's favorite time of the day, especially when it was the first time a person had been back in their own bed since Friday night. Becky sat up in her bed and slowly opened her eyes to examine her room.

Her unicorn collection was stacked as neatly as ever, her dresser and mirror were cluttered with some dirty laundry and random knick-knacks, Bob was resting soundly in his monkey bed beside her; his breath raspy, but constant. It was a normal and quiet bedroom where normal Becky Botsford could find rest and peace from the outside world and outer space chaos. Sitting here now, Becky could hardly believe the events of yesterday had actually happened.

The girl reached over to her night stand and clicked on the small unicorn lamp that she had owned since she was very young. Its soft light brought enormous comfort into the room as Becky flung her legs over the side of her bed to look herself in the mirror. Her hair was still lopsided, her eyes a bit red; she looked like someone who had seen better days, and indeed she had.

"It ended just like I wanted it to, didn't it?" Becky asked her reflection, but no answer was allotted her. The image just stared coldly at its caster. "Adler's arrested, the city's saved." She could feel her eyes burn lightly as the tears entered them. "I get to be Becky." She closed her eyes tightly and turned away from the mirror. She didn't want to see herself cry; unfortunately she still had to hear herself to do it.

"Um, Becky?" Her brother's voice gently drifted into the room. The girl quickly silenced herself and tried to mask her anguish. "It's okay; I won't tell anyone you were crying." The younger boy climbed up on the bed next to his sister. "I'm really glad you're back."

"Oh yeah?" Becky tried to wear a smile. "You know, you'd never have to race me to the bathroom again if I hadn't come back." Weak laughter.

TJ couldn't see the humor. He leaned close to Becky and hugged her tightly, and for a moment, they both stayed like this.

"I was really starting to think something bad happened to you." TJ didn't hold back his sorrow, and this hurt Becky. "I know you're a jerk sometimes but, I really love you and I don't want to lose you like that again."

Becky embraced her little brother, knowing his fear was more real than ever now.

"Don't worry TJ," Becky pulled away from the hug and looked her little brother in the eyes. "Even if something did take us apart, we know we love each other. We can't prevent every bad thing from happening."

"Not even WordGirl could." TJ dropped his head; Becky swallowed hard.

"Not even WordGirl, but she loved us and did the right thing. We'll always love her and she loved us. And, as a family, we'll always love each other."

"You know what Becky," TJ looked to his older sibling. "I'll try harder to show it."

Pause.

"Well, we've got to visit dad at the hospital tomorrow, so we need to get to sleep." Becky lightly pushed her brother from the bed.

"Night Becky."

"Goodnight TJ." Becky watched the boy leave her room. She sat quietly for just moments more before laying back down on her bed. She now focused her attention on the ceiling as she tried in vain to tire herself. She knew this would be a sleepless night, but she tried anyway. Becky turned the lamp off and closed her eyes. Though exhausted, Becky couldn't slumber, in fact, she was beginning to imagine weird noises coming from outside . . . wait, there were noises coming from outside.

Becky sat up once again. She threw her covers off and ran to the window. Pulling each curtain aside, it became painfully clear where all the commotion was coming from. Rolling her eyes, Becky got dressed and used her not-so-mild-mannered ability to fly to head downtown. She landed behind an old office building before walking out normally into the street.

Towering fifty feet above her was one of Tobey's unmistakable robots. The thing was thundering through the streets as it walked, but amazingly wasn't causing much damage. Several nearby citizens sent annoyed glances in the direction of the machine, but not much else could be done.

"Tobey!" Becky did her best to be heard over the robotic machination. "Tobey shut this thing off!"

The robot stopped its movements, seemingly acknowledging the girl's efforts. The robot then began to lower its hand to her level, clearly an invite for a ride to the top. Becky sighed; this was going to be a long night. She stepped cautiously onto the flat palm of the robot and was lifted up to the shoulder of the machine. There Tobey stood. It was apparent he was not pleased that Becky had come to him, but Becky knew she'd have to wait for him to give an explanation as to why.

"If you haven't noticed," Tobey crossed his arms. "I haven't wrecked a single building."

"Tobey, it's like three in the morning. You're waking people up." Becky could hear the tension in her own voice. Her crying earlier was making it very hard to sound threatening now.

"I don't care if it was midnight on Christmas Eve, I'll do what I like." The robot took two more steps forward before Tobey stopped it again to allow Becky to speak.

"You're only doing this because you think WordGirl will 'come out to stop you.' Tobey she's not coming back."

"What do you know." Tobey focused his attention back on his robot as he ordered it to begin stomping around again.

"Tobey, you have to knock this off. WordGirl's dead and you're going to have to accept it like everyone else!" Becky's words fell on deaf ears; the robot kept marching on. "You saw that explosion, I saw it, everyone saw it Tobey; you can't keep doing this all the time. Yesterday afternoon, last night and now; it's foolishness for you to keep doing this; the city needs to move on without her!"

"Shut-Up!" Everything stopped as Tobey faced Becky. He stepped down from the robot's shoulder to stand before the girl the sound of his steps amplified by the metal. "I know she's not dead. What she's hiding from is gone now and I know she'll come back. As sure as you're standing here, I know she's not dead." He turned to head back up to his former position when Becky grabbed his arm.

"She's not coming back." She had lowered her head in a way where Tobey couldn't see her eyes, but he knew from her tone that she honestly believed what she said. He slowly pulled his arm away from her as she sent her gaze outward away from him.

"Maybe, it is time to turn in for the night," Tobey waved for the robot to head back toward the suburbs. "There are a lot of people trying to sleep."

Tobey sat down in the robots hand and he encouraged Becky to do the same. The Two Eleven year olds road briefly in silence before Becky spoke again.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"When I got home this afternoon I heard that you were one of the people who went out looking for me; so thanks, you're a good friend." Becky sat quietly as Tobey seemed to roll the facts around in his head.

"Well, I guess I do believe in miracles then." Tobey's comment caused Becky to smile slightly.

"Why, because someone actually thinks you're good?" She asked smugly.

"No, because someone as bad as I am, got something as good as He is . . . do you think I could ask for one more miracle?" Tobey tilted his head back; Becky followed his gaze to the few stars twinkling thru the city lights.

"I'm fairly certain you could have one more."

"You know what I'm going to do?" Tobey smiled to his friend as she wiped one stray tear from her eye. "I think I'll save it."

* * *

Fading Facade

January 12, 2011


End file.
